Infertility-related Stress and Marital Satisfaction among Pakistani Infertile Individuals

Abstract

Infertility is a reproductive health problem that is widely researched with reference to numerous psychological concerns faced by infertile individuals. Childless couples face numerous personal and social consequences with every passing day. Among them, immediate family members' expectations to carry on the family’s name significantly weigh down marital union in the form of marital dissatisfaction among infertile individuals. Therefore, the relationship between stress related to infertility and its impact on the marital union, individuals (N = 150) of 18-40 years (M = 29.19, SD = 5.59) were taken from Rawalpindi, Islamabad, and Attock. The sample was approached at infertility centers, hospitals, offices, and their homes using snowball and purposive sampling techniques. Fertility Problem Inventory (FPI) and ENRICH Marital Satisfaction (EMS) Scale was administered on the sample. The results established satisfactory Cronbach alpha reliabilities (α = .63 to α = .93) for all scales. Hypotheses testing revealed that stress due to infertility negatively affects the marital satisfaction of infertile individuals and accounted for a 7% variance. Lastly, non-significant gender differences were observed across the variables of the study. These findings would be helpful in understanding the dynamics of stress, faced by childless individuals and would be beneficial in the investigation of cultural buffering factors. Non-significant gender differences across infertility-related stress further highlight the significance of devising and providing intervention-based programs and therapies for both men and women to cope with the stress and strengthen the marital union of infertile individuals.