Many studies have shown that women’s experiences, feelings and opinions during their infertility treatment play an important role in treatment outcomes. This qualitative study aimed to reveal the experiences, feelings and opinions of Turkish women with infertility. The data were collected from two Internet forums between October 2016 and November 2016, and the writings of 26 women were explored. The key words “woman with infertility,” “feelings, opinion, experience and blogs” and “infertility and blogs” were browsed. The obtained data were analyzed using the method of content analysis. Those expressing feelings, opinions and experiences were underlined and codes, subthemes and themes were created by three researchers separately. Then they came together, discussed the codes and agreed on the thematic statement. The themes which emerged were psychological changes, changes in social life and changes related to treatment themes. Holistic approach and patient-specific interventions can help turn the abovementioned vicious cycle into positive.
This study used Hypnofertility-based interventions to determine whether these interventions would lead to increased fertility preparedness and pregnancy outcomes and decreased cortisol levels in women undergoing In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatment. This randomized, controlled, prospective study was conducted from November 2017 through March 2019 in 61 Turkish women with unexplained infertility (intervention group: 30, control group: 31). Hypnofertility-based nursing care included affirmations, visualization, imagination, and relaxation from the first day of treatment until the day of the pregnancy test. The Fertility Preparedness Scale, a saliva sample for cortisol level, and the pregnancy test results were used for data collection. Hypnofertility-based nursing care decreased the cortisol levels of women in the intervention group compared to that in the control group ( p = 0.00). Though fertility preparedness was higher in the intervention group, the difference was not statistically significant ( p = 0.13). Although interventions relieved the women during the treatment process, there was no anticipated effect on pregnancy outcomes ( p = 0.75). Hypnofertility-based nursing care significantly reduce the cortisol levels, suggesting that the intervention helped women relax.
Background
Stress has a negative impact on fertility by suppressing the secretion of fertility hormones. Although it is known that stress reduces the probability of conception and affects fertility negatively, scales that are now widely used to evaluate fertility preparedness include negative items. Positive statements are crucial to relieving stress in women. Using positive items in assessments of fertility preparedness in women may help reduce related stress.
Purpose
This study was designed to develop the Fertility Preparedness Scale for women receiving fertility treatments.
Methods
A methodological study was conducted in four fertility clinics between December 2015 and March 2016. Two hundred thirty women who had been diagnosed with primary or secondary infertility were enrolled as participants. A personal information form and the Fertility Preparedness Scale were used to collect data.
Results
The Cronbach's alpha was .84 for the total scale and .76–.79 for the subscales. Factor analysis extracted three subscales that explained 52.93% of the total variance. The confirmatory factor analysis found a goodness of fit index of .80, a comparative fit index of .95, and a nonnormed fit index of .94.
Conclusions/Implications for Practice
This scale is valid and reliable for measuring the fertility preparedness of women who receive fertility treatment.
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