Psychosocial aspects of infertility and its treatment

Abstract

Nowadays, more and more couples face impediments associated with conception. Infertility is related with experiencing psychological problems by both partners. One of the infertility treatment procedures is in vitro fertilization. Using this method has significant influence on patients and their family's psychology. This essay reviews literature about IVF treatment and discusses the significance of infertility to a couple, children development and psychosocial functioning, their relation with parents and public opinion about in vitro fertilization.

The Psychosocial Aspect of Infertility

“…Making sense of the emotional and physical changes undergone during treatment process is critically important in the future plans of individuals coping with infertility and to overcome the hardships they are exposed. It is thus suggested that psychological counseling for infertility that can offer the individuals a safe reserve for self-expression is quite a salient service catered for infertile individual and couples [73][74][75][76][77]. Psychological interventions play an important role in the treatment of infertility, in particular, for infertile patients who are not receiving medical treatment [78].…”

Clustering Infertile Couples With Dyadic Approach: WHO-5-WBI as a Promising Tool for Assessing Psychological State

“…Infertility causes a ponderous psychological burden both for women and men, including depression, anxiety, feeling shame and low self-esteem, which negatively influence the coping mechanism of individuals and are likely to reduce the success of the future fertility treatment (Baqutayan, 2015;Malina, Blaszkiewicz, & Owczarz, 2016;McQueeney, Stanton, & Sigmon, 1997;Taebi, Simbar, & Abdolahian, 2018). Younglai and colleagues also highlight the observation that depression and anxiety in women and stress in men might be amongst the main causes of fertility problems and can also negatively affect the process of in vitro fertilization (IVF) programs.…”

Supportive Social Interactions in Infertility Treatment Decrease Cortisol Levels: Experimental Study Report

“…may have an impact on the psychosocial functioning of the couple together and as individuals during this time of stress. Stress may also be related with the negative social appraisal of infertility treatment, as becoming a parent is an important part of adult social role and identity (Möller and Fällström, 1991;Malina et al, 2016). Different aspects of social assessment of the IVF procedure can intensify the feeling of loss, shame and social mismatch that often accompanies infertility (Whiteford and Gonzales, 1995;Monga et al, 2004;Pawelec and Pabian, 2012).…”