The experience of infertility: a review of recent literature

Abstract

About 10 years ago Greil published a review and critique of the literature on the socio-psychological impact of infertility. He found at the time that most scholars treated infertility as a medical condition with psychological consequences rather than as a socially constructed reality. This article examines research published since the last review. More studies now place infertility within larger social contexts and social scientific frameworks although clinical emphases persist. Methodological problems remain but important improvements are also evident. We identify two vigorous research traditions in the social scientific study of infertility. One tradition uses primarily quantitative techniques to study clinic patients in order to improve service delivery and to assess the need for psychological counseling. The other tradition uses primarily qualitative research to capture the experiences of infertile people in a sociocultural context. We conclude that more attention is now being paid to the ways in which the experience of infertility is shaped by social context. We call for continued progress in the development of a distinctly sociological approach to infertility and for the continued integration of the two research traditions identified here.

Psychological and social aspects of infertility in men: an overview of the evidence and implications for psychologically informed clinical care and future research

“…We also acknowledge that most of this evidence has been derived from individuals seeking treatment and that it does not elucidate the experiences of people who do not 'define their [in]ability to have a child as a problem'. 3 The available evidence supports the assertion 83 that normative assumptions about the importance of child bearing and rearing for women coupled with the focus of ART treatment on women's bodies have reduced the visibility and awareness of men's experiences of childlessness. These data suggest that independent of their partner's wishes, fertile and infertile men want to father children and experience fatherhood.…”

“…67,83 However, there is now a body of evidence that elucidates some of the psychological and social aspects of infertility for men. 3 While the research has been undertaken in diverse settings using varied designs, sampling and recruitment strategies, and data sources, there is considerable consistency among the findings. We acknowledge that in limiting the search to the English-language literature and including only studies with an identified focus on men that evidence relevant to this review might have been overlooked.…”

“…Although the psychological and social aspects of infertility, fertility treatment with assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) and infertility-related childlessness have been investigated comprehensively in women, the psychosocial consequences of infertility for men are less well understood. 3 The aim of this paper was to synthesize the existing evidence concerning the psychosocial aspects of male-related infertility and explore the implications of these studies for comprehensive clinical care and future research.…”

Couples’ discontinuation of fertility treatments: a longitudinal study on demographic, biomedical, and psychosocial risk factors

“…Because there is mixed evidence regarding the causation (which member was diagnosed with infertility) and its relationship with psychological adjustment (see [41]) and discontinuation of treatment [21], two dummy variables were created to explore if female or male causation have different contributions to the decision of discontinuing treatments (presence of female causation versus others and presence of male causation versus others).…”

Encuesta de opinión pública sobre reproducción humana y usos de tecnología de reproducción asistida en habitantes de Santiago, Chile

“…La incapacidad para tener hijos repercute en el bienestar de las personas y a su núcleo familiar, especialmente a las mujeres, ya que son las que sienten mayor presión social para convertirse en madres, suelen ser consideradas culpables por los fracasos reproductivos y son sus cuerpos los que deben soportar las intervenciones médicas y sus consecuencias 4,5 . En parte, este efecto negativo en las personas y en su entorno familiar es lo que llevó a la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) junto a otras organizaciones, a definir la infertilidad como una enfermedad 1 .…”