Social Consequences of Infertility on Families in Iran

Mohammad Amiri,Ahmad Khosravi,Mohammadali Jahanitiji,Fardin Mehrabian,Zakieh Sadeghi,Mehdi Raei,Reza Chaman

doi:10.5539/gjhs.v8n5p89

Abstract

Background and Objective:Social reactions to infertility are one of the concerns infertile people. This study aimed to investigate the social consequences of infertility among urban and rural population of Shahroud in northeast of Iran.Method:This study is a comparative study that was conducted in 2013. In this study, 1,528 women (511 infertile and 1017 fertile ones) were randomly selected. The 36-item questionnaire included 18 items about women’s attitude towards infertility and 18 questions about the consequences of infertility was used. Data were analyzed using chi-square test, one-way analysis of variance and t test.Findings:The prevalence of infertility in rural areas was estimated to be 2.23 percent. 42.2% of the participants were living the city (n= 645) and 57.8 % were living in the village (n=883). 49.2% of the participants had education below high school diploma (n=751), 31.7% had high school diploma (n=484) and 19.2% had university degrees (n=293). 51.9% of the people referred to the infertility problem among distant relatives, 24.9% referred to infertility among the close relatives and 9% reported the infertility among their family members. The mean score of attitude of the fertile was 56.6±7.0 and that of the infertile was 56.8± 6.6 and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). There was a significant association between fertility status and encouraging divorce, encouraging remarriage and encouraging adoption (P=0.001).Conclusion:Infertility causes a negative attitude toward infertile people. But the interference of others leads to further encouragement of divorce and remarriage among the infertile people.

Highlights

Despite various changes in attitudes toward sexuality in recent centuries, fertility has still remained important in the human mind and one of the factors which strengthens marital life is the existence of a child (Bahrami et al, 2010)
This study aimed to investigate the social consequences of infertility among urban and rural population of Shahroud in northeast of Iran
The prevalence of infertility in rural areas was estimated to be 2.23 percent. 42.2% of the participants were living the city (n= 645) and 57.8 % were living in the village (n=883). 49.2% of the participants had education below high school diploma (n=751), 31.7% had high school diploma (n=484) and 19.2% had university degrees (n=293). 51.9% of the people referred to the infertility problem among distant relatives, 24.9% referred to infertility among the close relatives and 9% reported the infertility among their family members

Summary

Introduction

Despite various changes in attitudes toward sexuality in recent centuries, fertility has still remained important in the human mind and one of the factors which strengthens marital life is the existence of a child (Bahrami et al, 2010). Some studies show that depression, stress, low self-confidence and sexual dissatisfaction are among the psychological consequences of infertility (Kormi Nouri, 2000). Some studies refer to sexual dysfunction as a consequence of infertility and state that during infertility 50 to 60 percent of couples had significantly lower sexual satisfaction (Sattarzadeh, 2004; Yektatalab Sh, 2004) and report factors such as low self-confidence, feelings of depression and anxiety, and sexual relationship overshadowed by the fear of failure to conceive as the cause for this (Bahrami, Sattarzadeh, Ranjbar Koochaksariie, & Ghojazadeh, 2007).

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