THE EFFECT OF AN INFERTILITY DIAGNOSIS ON TREATMENT-RELATED STRESSES

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of an infertility diagnosis on treatment-related stresses. One hundred infertile Chinese couples participated in this study. Three structured questionnaires were used to analyze the differences between husbands and wives. As a group wives appear to experience significantly more stress from infertility tests and treatment than their husbands, regardless of whether female infertility was present. Husbands with mixed or idiopathic infertility experienced less stress to infertility than husbands with only male infertility or female infertility. Wives with mixed or idiopathic infertility experienced less stress to infertility than wives with only a female infertility. Marital duration, time in treatment, and the number of AIH or IVF procedures were positively related to the wives' stress level, whereas only number of IVF procedures was positively related to the husbands' stress level. Interventions to enhance the infertility treatment experience are suggested.