An unborn hope: a study of psychosocial characters, choices and motivations amongst infertile couples at an art centre at pune

Author: 
Handa S, Patel BB, Ray S, Nimonkar R, Singh H and Pandya KH

Background: Infertility leads to enormous stress in all dimensions of couple’s life. There is scant knowledge about the prevalence of infertility, involuntary childlessness and the seeking of fertility treatment and only few longitudinal studies are there about the psychosocial consequences of infertility and its treatment. Infertility is undeniably a major life crisis and psychologically stressful for many couples. However, there still remains a major research lacuna in this area. With this background in mind, a cross-sectional study of the psychosocial factors of infertile couples based in a tertiary care hospital is proposed.
Aims and objectives: To study the various psychosocial factors influencing the choices, motivations and overall mental health and well being of infertile couples at an ART centre, Pune. And study its association with various socio demographic factors.
Methodology: A cross sectional, hospital based study conducted in a tertiary care centre infertility centre of Pune. It was a questionnaire based study which also included Tuebingen scale for quality of life.
Results: 80% males and 74% female felt that it’s necessary to have a child, 22% males and 12 % females were under family pressure. 56% males and 64% females were distressed, 76% males and 80% females use to get hurt on childlessness remark. 12% males and 52 % female felt guilty for their partner (p-0.00).12% males and 22% told that their sexual desire has been decreased and 6% males and 18% females told that they feel less satisfied after sex (p-0.009). 40% males and 64% females believed that biological child is superior to adopted child (p- 0.001), 36%males and 24% females felt that there is social stigma attached with adoption (p- 0.001), 56% males and 58% females had plan to adopt in future.

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DOI: 
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24327/ijcar.2017.5760.0794
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Volume6