Psychosocial Problems Experienced by Infertile Women and Stigmatization: A Qualitative Study
Date
2023Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Purpose: This study aims to determine the psychosocial problems experienced by infertile women and their stigmatization
statuses.
Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Center of a university hospital in Turkey
between November 2016 and May 2017. The sample of the study consisted of 42 infertile women who agreed to participate in the
study. The data were collected using a semi-structured “Interview Form” consisting of eight open-ended questions to determine
the psychosocial problems experienced by the women in relation to infertility. The collected data were analyzed with the method
of content analysis.
Results: According to the results of the in-depth interviews conducted with the participants, four main themes emerged to
include ten sub-themes revealing the psychosocial problems they experienced and their stigmatization issues as sorrow, feeling
of guilt, childlessness stigma, loss of feeling of motherhood, stress (psychological), perceived social pressure, social isolation
(social), lack of sexual drive, feeling of sexual failure (sex life) and financial loss (economic).
Conclusion: In the study, it was determined that the women who were receiving infertility treatment experienced many
psychosocial problems and stigmatization due to their childlessness, and they limited their social lives to especially avoid
questions directed to them about having a child and evade talking to pregnant women/families and women/families with
children. Based on these results, it is recommended for nurses who work at assisted reproductive treatment centers and especially
have the opportunity to communicate with infertile women for longer to determine the psychosocial problems experienced by
these women throughout their treatment processes and provide the psychosocial support and counselling they need.