Psychosocial distress and infertility: men and women respond differently

Wright, John; Duchesne, Claude; Sabourin, Stéphane; Bissonnette, François; Benoit, Johanne; Girard, Y

doi:10.1016/s0015-0282(16)54067-9

Cited by 249 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…In our study, among respondents treated for infertility, 66% of female respondents and 51% of male respondents declared that treatment experiences were (very) difficult ( p < 0.01), in line with other research showing greater reported distress in women than men [48–50]. The greater distress among women is linked to the fact that they are first in line, as infertility treatments affect the female body.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Can men be trusted in population-based surveys to report couples’ medical care for infertility?

Belgherbi

Rochebrochard

2018

BMC Med Res Methodol

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BackgroundMen are usually excluded from surveys on reproductive health as some works have cast doubts on their ability to accurately report information on reproduction. Recent papers challenged this viewpoint, arguing that the quality of men’s reports depends strongly on use of an appropriate study design. We aimed to explore the relevance of evaluating couples’ use of medical care for infertility based on men’s interviews in a population-based survey.MethodsThe study was based on the last French sexual and reproductive health study (Fecond) conducted by phone interviews among a population-based sample of 2863 men and 4629 women aged 20–49 years.ResultsAmong respondents who had ever tried to have a child, the use of infertility medical care by couples (i.e. by the respondents and/or their partners) within the previous 15 years was 16% (95%CI 14 to 18%) based on men’s reports and 17% (95%CI 15 to 18%) based on women’s reports (p = 0.43). Men’s and women’s reports were remarkably concordant on most items (infertility duration, treatment). The main discrepancy concerned male medical checkup, which was reported much more often by male respondents than female respondents (86% vs. 57%, p < 0.001 for sperm analysis, 56% vs. 27%, p < 0.001 for male genital examination).ConclusionsIt is time to trust men to report couples’ infertility medical care in reproductive surveys, as they provide information remarkably concordant with that provided by women. Conversely, women may poorly report the infertility checkups of their male partner.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Can men be trusted in population-based surveys to report couples’ medical care for infertility?

Belgherbi

Rochebrochard

2018

BMC Med Res Methodol

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“…Consequently, they live the IVF procedures more anxiously than their male partners [12, 13]. These findings have recently been confirmed by Slade et al [14], who reported higher anxiety and depression values in women than in men during the IVF attempt program.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Stress-Response in Male Partners of Women Submitted to in vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer

Tarabusi

Matteo

Volpe

et al. 2000

Psychother Psychosom

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Background: In a previous work, we have reported the relationship between women and the outcome of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). The goal of the present work is to evaluate the association between vulnerability to stress and treatment outcome in male partners of couples submitted to IVF-ET. Methods: The day of semen collection at the Assisted Reproduction Unit of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Modena, 45 subjects were submitted to Stroop Color Word Conflict, a task measuring the ability to cope with a cognitive stressor, involving the attentional and sympathoadrenal system. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as heart rate (HR), were measured at baseline, during the test and 10 min after the end of testing. The evidence of pregnancy (βhCG >250 mIU/ml 12 days after ET) is the main outcome measure; the couples were classed in either a ‘success’ or a ‘failure’ group. Results: Thirteen couples became pregnant. Pregnancy progressed until term in 6 cases, while 7 cases showed only a preclinical evidence of pregnancy. Age, education, causes and duration of infertility were similar in the success and failure groups. No difference was found in the number and motility of spermatozoa both at baseline and after capacitation (a technique improving sperm motility). Moreover, the success group showed a higher number of both fertilized oocytes and embryos transferred compared with the failure group. The area under the curve of the cardiovascular parameters was calculated. The failure group showed a higher value for HR (50.6 ± 36.7 of percent total change) than the success group (31.8 ± 16.9; p = 0.006). Conclusions: The cardiovascular response to stress is a good correlate of success in infertile males submitted to the IVF-ET program.

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“…A study of 449 couples in a fertility clinic found that infertile women showed higher levels of distress on a global measure of psychiatric symptoms than did their partners. Women showed more anxiety, depression, hostility, cognitive disturbances, increased stress, and lower self-esteem (Wright et al, 1991). Greater distress attributable to infertility may explain patients' willingness to take more aggressive steps in FP than their spouses.…”

Section: Couples' Responses To the News Of Potential Fertility Loss Amentioning

confidence: 94%

Role of Spouse/Partner in Fertility Preservation Decision Making by Young Women with Cancer

Mathur¹

2000

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Partners play a critical role in making decisions about fertility preservation among young patients with cancer, yet little is known about these dyadic decisions when planning cancer treatment. Fertility preservation entails helping cancer patients preserve fertility after cancer treatment. This qualitative study investigated: 1) Heterosexual couples' responses to potential fertility loss; 2) their process in making fertility preservation decisions; 3) their ethical and legal concerns, and 4) recommendations for other couples undergoing similar treatment. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 heterosexual couples whose female partners were diagnosed with cancer and had received fertility preservation consultations within the past 5 years. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using grounded theory methods. The results indicated that couples have varied reactions to infertility. In most, spouses let the patients take the lead in, and supported, their fertility preservation decisions. Spouses recommended support to patients. Couples face challenges in making fertility preservation decisions. Input from, and support for, both partners is essential to ensure well-informed, high-quality fertility preservation decisions. ii Acknowledgments I would like to thank all of the participants who took part in the study willingly and whole heartedly. This is a sensitive topic and it is never easy to share these stories. I am very thankful to all my committee members for their feedback and guidance. I would especially like to thank Dr. Terri Woodard for giving me this opportunity at the MD Anderson Research Center. I also would like to express my gratitude to my advisor, Dr. E. Roberto Orellana, for his guidance and lending a patient ear to my struggles. I appreciate Dr. Pauline Jivanjee truly for her feedback and challenging me to produce an improved work. Many thanks and heartfelt gratitude to my husband, Saurabh, for encouraging me to pursue this endeavor and supporting me through the process. Despite his own busy schedule, there were times when he assumed the full responsibility for our children so I could focus on my work. In particular, I thank my parents, who taught me to dream big and aim high in life.

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Psychosocial distress and infertility: men and women respond differently

Cited by 249 publications

References 19 publications

Can men be trusted in population-based surveys to report couples’ medical care for infertility?

Can men be trusted in population-based surveys to report couples’ medical care for infertility?

Stress-Response in Male Partners of Women Submitted to in vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer

Role of Spouse/Partner in Fertility Preservation Decision Making by Young Women with Cancer

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