Trauma of Pregnancy Loss and Infertility Among Mothers and Involuntarily Childless Women in the United States

Abstract

Recent studies have repeatedly associated posttraumatic symptoms with women's experience of pregnancy loss. Using a nationally representative sample of American women (N = 2,894) from the National Survey of Fertility Barriers, the current study examines long-term psychological outcomes and reactions to pregnancy loss and infertility among mothers and involuntary childless women. In general, childless women who have experienced pregnancy loss or failure to conceive report the lowest life satisfaction and highest levels of depression despite a considerable period of time (seven years) since the loss or first year without a conception. However, women with the dual experience of pregnancy loss and involuntary childlessness report the most fertility-related distress. Results of the current study suggest that the “non-event” of involuntary childlessness may serve as an additional stressor in the traumatic experience of pregnancy loss.

Effects of Irrational Parenthood Cognition, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Spousal Support on Quality of Life of Infertile Women

“…유산을 경험한 여성은 외상 후 스트레스 장애의 증후를 흔하게 호소하 였고 [13], 대상자의 25%는 사건 발생 한 달 후에도 외상 후 스 트레스 장애가 지속되어, 유산을 하나의 외상 스트레스원으로 개념화하였다 [14]. 또한 임신을 하지 못한 여성도 삶의 만족도 가 낮고 우울이 높아 임신을 못하는 사건 자체가 외상적 경험 을 유발하는 스트레스원으로 간주되었다 [15]. 더군다나 난임 치료 후 실패는 난임 여성의 정체성에 심한 혼란을 가져와 [16] 외상 후 스트레스 장애의 소인으로 발전될 가능성이 크며 [15] …”

“…또한 임신을 하지 못한 여성도 삶의 만족도 가 낮고 우울이 높아 임신을 못하는 사건 자체가 외상적 경험 을 유발하는 스트레스원으로 간주되었다 [15]. 더군다나 난임 치료 후 실패는 난임 여성의 정체성에 심한 혼란을 가져와 [16] 외상 후 스트레스 장애의 소인으로 발전될 가능성이 크며 [15] …”

Infertility and fertility intentions, desires, and outcomes among US women

“…In the demographic-and social-science literatures, we are perhaps most familiar with infertile women who are involuntarily childless. This is a meaningful group for both demographic and social scientists, as this group has important implications for fertilityrate calculations (Bongaarts and Potter 2013) and because infertility is particularly distressing for women who are childless and have strong fertility desires (Schwerdtfeger and Shreffler 2009). Yet the majority of women who experience infertility do not remain childless (Schwerdtfeger and Shreffler 2009).…”

“…This is a meaningful group for both demographic and social scientists, as this group has important implications for fertilityrate calculations (Bongaarts and Potter 2013) and because infertility is particularly distressing for women who are childless and have strong fertility desires (Schwerdtfeger and Shreffler 2009). Yet the majority of women who experience infertility do not remain childless (Schwerdtfeger and Shreffler 2009). Further, while we might expect a great deal of overlap between experiencing a period of infertility (e.g., not getting pregnant after at least a year of regular, unprotected heterosexual intercourse) and realizing that there might be a fertility problem, there are surprising discrepancies.…”

A New Way to Estimate the Potential Unmet Need for Infertility Services Among Women in the United States

“…Infertility is often experienced as an unanticipated and unwelcome life course interruption and as a failure to achieve a deeply desired identity, 4,5 which can lead to psychological distress. [6][7][8][9] Infertility is best conceptualized as a couple's problem, but it is typically identified when the woman does not conceive, 10 and women are often the focus of treatment. 11 In this preliminary study, we focus on women as a proxy for couples because the survey did not include a large enough sample of male partners for analysis.…”