Aysel Karaca
Duzce University, Turkey
Title: Psychosocial problems and coping strategies among women with infertility
Biography
Biography: Aysel Karaca
Abstract
Infertility is defined as the inability to become pregnant or maintain a pregnancy despite having intercourse three to four times per week for at least a year. Rather than a medical issue, due to the problems it can cause for individuals and marriages, infertility is seen as a developmental crisis. Although both sexes are emotionally affected by infertility, women appear to experience greater stress and pressure as well as higher rates of anxiety and depression. Several studies have found that up to 50% of infertile women specified that infertility was the most challenging issue in their lives. Other studies have found that the psychosocial pain was similar to that reported by patients with life-threatening diseases, such as cancer and coronary failure. In women, the most important underlying causes of the high levels of stress and anxiety upon learning about their infertility have been the loss of motherhood and reproductive abilities, greater negative self-concept, and loss of genetic continuity. High stress may also result from the socially determined status of children within certain traditional societies, which can lead to social stigma because of infertility. Women generally respond to infertility with deep sorrow and mourning, which can lead to the adoption of emotion-focused coping strategies such as crying, praying, and a belief in God. In regions where traditional Turkish practices prevail, infertile women can be excluded and subjected to violence by their husbands or in-laws. As people in these regions may be biased against infertility treatments, women avoid sharing their experiences with others, and the use of traditional fertility methods is quite high.