Quality of life among infertile women living in a paradox of concerns and dealing strategies: A qualitative study.
Zahra Kiani, Masoumeh Simbar, Sepideh Hajian and 1 others
PMID 33318833WHAT IT FOUND
Infertile women in Iran named worries about cost, treatment uncertainty, divorce and future loneliness, and named coping through family support, faith, distraction and changed beliefs.
Stigma, family ignorance and health-system gaps made coping harder.
Key findings
01Infertile women described current worries about treatment costs, childbirth, injection side effects and medication scarcity, plus future fears of divorce, rejection and loneliness.
02Coping included distraction and self-control, support from mothers, husbands, treatment staff and other women, faith, and changing beliefs or considering adoption.
03Barriers to acceptance included inability to control the condition, husbands and families lacking awareness, limited public infertility services and social beliefs tying womanhood to motherhood.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The authors state the findings cannot be generalized beyond this group. The sample was small and came from one province in Iran, with 15 infertile women and 15 key informants. The women may have hidden their true feelings during interviews. No treatment was tested, so the paper cannot show whether support, faith, education or distraction improves quality of life. Key informants included husbands, clinicians, midwives and policymakers, so patient and professional views are blended.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these coping strategies as proven treatments for infertility distress. The study only reports what 15 women and key informants said, and it did not compare strategies or measure outcomes.