Abstract
The infertility rate among African Americans is higher than that of other ethnicities; yet, it is rarely discussed or acknowledged. There is an abundance of research that contributes to the body of knowledge of infertility among white people, but there is very little that examines the experience for African Americans. This study aimed to explore the experience of infertility among African American couples. Utilizing a phenomenological approach, six married couples were interviewed about their experience of infertility. This approach was used in order to provide a first-person account of the lived experience of infertility for the couples. The findings demonstrate how infertility can be a traumatizing event that is experienced differently by men and women. The distress of the experience challenges one’s sense of self. The findings also suggest how religion and spirituality played a central role in the lives of the couples, helping them to cope with infertility. The personal stories provided by the couples illustrate the profound impact the experience of infertility has had on their lives.
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Notes
This study contains limitations. First, the sample size was small, consisting of six couples. As a result, it is possibly only generalizable to those with similar characteristics of the participants and not reflective of a broader population. Second, the researcher used open-ended questions. Responding to open-ended questions may be difficult for respondents who are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with expressing their views and opinions. Also, with the use of open-ended questions, there is limited control over the length and response. Consequently, this leads to the final limitation; the interviews with each of the husbands were an average of 25 min compared to those of the wives, which lasted about 60 min. The researcher is female. While not necessarily a limitation, it could have influenced the willingness of the male participants to disclose information and respond adequately to questions. A study in which a male conducted interviews on this topic might yield different results or additional data.
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Taylor, L.C. The Experience of Infertility Among African American Couples. J Afr Am St 22, 357–372 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12111-018-9416-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12111-018-9416-6