Assisted reproductive treatments provide the hope of pregnancy for infertile women, but do not always turn this hope into reality. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of infertile women who terminated treatment after in vitro fertilization (IVF) failure. Using a qualitative research design, 24 subjects were recruited who had experienced IVF failure and decided to terminate their treatment. Data were collected through interviews, and analyzed using interpretive research strategies of phenomenology. This study protocol was reviewed and approved by the University Review Board for Research. Informed consent was obtained from each subject. The theme of lived experience which emerged from the data was "transforming hope". This theme included three categories: (1) accepting the reality of infertility, (2) acknowledging the limitations of treatment involving high technology, and (3) re-identifying one's future. The results illustrated that counseling for these women should involve the provision of both positive and negative information, evaluation of the response to treatment, and assistance in defining their future.

Treatment stage, educational level, and etiology of infertility were found to be factors influencing the meaning of life in women undergoing IVF.