Perceptions of Women with Infertility on Stigma and Disability

Sternke, Elizabeth A.; Abrahamson, Kathleen

doi:10.1007/s11195-014-9348-6

Cited by 32 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…The most disturbing result of infertility is stigmatization as a result of attitudes and prejudices in society. Stigma is defined as having a negative self‐perception as an infertile woman, getting alienated and isolated in the society, being insulted and not understood, and having negative self‐perceptions about the behaviors of others . In the study conducted by Donkor and Sandall in Ghana, the researchers determined that 64% of infertile women felt stigmatized.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Stigma is defined as having a negative self-perception as an infertile woman, getting alienated and isolated in the society, being insulted and not understood, and having negative self-perceptions about the behaviors of others. 2,3 In the study conducted by Donkor and Sandall 4 in Ghana, the researchers determined that 64% of infertile women felt stigmatized. Similar results were also obtained in various studies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Infertility Stigma Scale: A psychometric study in a Turkish sample

Çapık

Aksoy

Yilmaz

et al. 2019

Perspect Psychiatr Care

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Purpose The purpose of the present study is to conduct the Turkish validity and reliability study of the Infertility Stigma Scale (ISS). Design and methods This methodological study was conducted in an infertility polyclinic in Turkey. The sample consisted of 178 infertile women. Findings The validity of the four‐factor structure of the scale and the appropriateness of its ﬁt indices were confirmed. The analyses of internal consistency indicated that the total score correlations of items were sufficient; test‐retest, r = 0.948;P < 0.001; Cronbach's α = 0.93. Practice implications ISS could be used as a useful assessment instrument in investigating the stigma concerning infertility and making efficient related interventions.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infertility Stigma Scale: A psychometric study in a Turkish sample

Çapık

Aksoy

Yilmaz

et al. 2019

Perspect Psychiatr Care

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Although infertility is largely shaped as a female issue across continents, it imposes particular psychosocial distress for females in the Chinese context (Cserepes, Kollár, Sápy, Wischmann, & Bugán, ; Greil, Slauson‐Blevins, & McQuillan, ). Failures in childbearing have been linked to depression, anxiety, guilt, shame, negative self‐image, low self‐esteem, grief reactions, and a sense of failure and total incapacity (Berger, Paul, & Henshaw, ; Galhardo, Cunha, Pinto‐Gouveia, & Matos, ; Lee, Hui Choi, Chan, Chan, & Ng, ; Loke et al, ; Sternke & Abrahamson, ). Infertile women were very likely to experience intensive social stigma and public scrutiny in patriarchal countries like Mainland China (Greil, McQuillan, & Slauson‐Blevins, ; Hasanpoor‐Azghdy, Simbar, & Vedadhir, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Childbearing importance: A qualitative study of women with infertility in China

Yao

Chan

2017

Research in Nursing & Health

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The primary goal of this study was to examine and describe the importance of childbearing as perceived by infertile women in the Chinese familial and social context. We adopted a qualitative descriptive method and conducted semi-structured interviews with female patients diagnosed with infertility. Participants were recruited at a high-volume fertility clinic in Tianjin, China. Fifteen women with a diagnosis of infertility were interviewed for 60-90 min. Data were analyzed by thematic analysis.Two themes supported the importance of childbearing for Chinese women with infertility: childbearing as natural law, and childbearing for relational harmony.Childbearing as natural law referred to intrinsic forces to seek a child, including (i) achieving motherhood and womanhood and (ii) experiencing a developmental transition with childbearing as a landmark. Relational harmony included three primary factors: (i) to maintain marital quality by preventing marital failure and rejuvenating an unsatisfactory marital relationship; (ii) to fulfill both authoritative and reciprocal filial piety; (iii) to build a sense of normalcy within family and social networks. In summary, infertility resulted in loss of motherhood, womanhood, and a smooth developmental transition. Moreover, it threatened relationship harmony in the marriage, family, and social life. These insights on the value of childbearing in the Chinese context can inform healthcare professionals in identify infertility-related demands and developing relevant psychosocial services for people with infertility.

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“…Canadian and United States studies found most adults believed motherhood was innate and natural (Miall, 1994), and more adults had negative or neutral than positive attitudes towards being childless (Koropeckyj-Cox & Pendell, 2007). Research from Australia, the United Kingdom and United States found women experienced being childless as discrediting, and believed others perceived childless women as unnatural, deficient, unfulfilled and incomplete (Letherby, 1999;Rich, Taket, Graham, & Shelley, 2011;Sternke & Abrahamson, 2015). Some involuntarily childless women internalised pronatalism, perceiving themselves as failures and incomplete (Bell, 2013;Sternke & Abrahamson, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some involuntarily childless women internalised pronatalism, perceiving themselves as failures and incomplete (Bell, 2013;Sternke & Abrahamson, 2015). There is, however, limited research investigating the exclusion of childless women in their reproductive years from the social domain, which encompasses social networks, support and interaction, and social and leisure participation (see for example, Albertini & Mencarini, 2014;Bell, 2013;Debest & Mazuy, 2014;Doyle, Pooley, & Breen, 2013;McNamee & James, 2012;Sternke & Abrahamson, 2015), the service domain, which incorporates availability, accessibility, affordability, appropriateness and adequacy of services (see for example Baker, 2003;Hammarberg, Astbury, & Baker, 2001;Mollen, 2006;Onat & Beji, 2012;Parry, 2004) and the economic domain, including participation in employment, the nature and quality of working lives, and material and financial resources (see for example Doyle et al, 2013;Fieder, Huber, & Bookstein, 2011;Huber, Bookstein, & Fieder, 2010;Malik & Coulson, 2013;Rich et al, 2011). There is no existing research in the civic domain, which includes participation in community and political activities, groups and organisations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Exclusion of Australian Childless Women in Their Reproductive Years

Turnbull

Graham

Taket

2016

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Research suggests Australian childless women are at risk of pronatalism-driven social exclusion. This exploratory, mixed methods, cross-sectional study described and explored the social exclusion of Australian childless women aged 25 to 44 years, and asked: what are the nature and extent of social exclusion of childless women; and do the nature and extent of exclusion vary for different types of childless women? A total of 776 childless female Australian residents aged 25 to 44 years completed a self-administered questionnaire. Quantitative data were collected on childlessness types, indicators of exclusion and perceived stigmatisation and exclusion due to being childless. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, One Way ANOVAs and Kruskal Wallis Analysis of Ranks. Qualitative data on childless women's experiences were inductively thematically analysed. Findings suggest societal-level pronatalism drives exclusion of Australian childless women. While exclusion occurs in all domains of life, childless women experience more exclusion, and perceive more exclusion due to being childless, in the social and civic domains than the service and economic domains. Circumstantially and involuntarily childless women, followed by voluntarily childless women, perceive more exclusion due to being childless than undecided and future childed women. Experiences are influenced by the nature of women's 'deviance' from pronatalism.

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Perceptions of Women with Infertility on Stigma and Disability

Cited by 32 publications

References 42 publications

Infertility Stigma Scale: A psychometric study in a Turkish sample

Infertility Stigma Scale: A psychometric study in a Turkish sample

Childbearing importance: A qualitative study of women with infertility in China

Social Exclusion of Australian Childless Women in Their Reproductive Years

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