Perceptions of infertility and treatment stress in females as compared with males entering in vitro fertilization treatment.

OBJECTIVE

To determine gender similarities and differences in perceptions of infertility and anticipated treatment stress in couples enrolling for in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment.

DESIGN

Both partners were evaluated at enrollment of IVF treatment. The evaluation was part of the screening procedure.

SETTING

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at a teaching hospital.

PATIENTS, PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred consecutive couples who entered an IVF treatment program.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Self-report questionnaire included items on the duration of infertility, degree of social support, effect of infertility on sexual relationship, expected likelihood of achieving pregnancy, anticipation of stress during treatment, and a self-rating scale of emotional reactions to infertility.

RESULTS

The women anticipated more stress in IVF treatment but also rated greater degree of social support than the men. Both partners overestimated their chances of a successful treatment outcome. Factor analysis of the Infertility Scale produced three factors that were similar for both sexes. The first factor represented the desire to have a child as a major focus of life with inadequacy of the male role, social functioning and work efficiency, and pressure to have a child following.

CONCLUSIONS

Women reported more stress, but the factors affecting stress of infertility were very similar for both partners. The intense focus on having a child was the predominant factor in anticipated stress of IVF treatment for both males and females.