Abstract
We live in an era when increasing numbers of babies are conceived through assisted reproduction technologies (ART). Using a comprehensive approach, the present research seeks to contribute to the understanding of gender differences in experiencing and coping with infertility, and in dealing with ART treatment. Our sample consisted of 10 heterosexual couples aged 24 to 43 and the data were collected through semi-structured interviews. In the studied sample, gender differences existed not only in experiences of infertility, but also in understanding it, and in dealing with ART treatment. Responses to stress caused by infertility were stronger in women and they also perceived this stress more intensely than men. For women the central aspect of infertility was the desire for a child, while for men it was perceived more as a socially imposed obligation to fulfill the male role.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abbey, A., Andrews, F., & Halman, J. (1991). The importance of social relationships for infertile couples’ well-being. In A. L. Stanton & C. Dunkel-Schetter (Eds.), Infertility: perspectives from stress and coping research. London: Plenum Press.
Becker, G. (2000). The elusive embryo: how women and men approach new reproductive technologies. Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Becker, G., Castrillo, M., Jackson, R., & Nachtigall, R. D. (2005). Infertility among low-income Latinos. Fertility and Sterility, 85, 882–887.
Berg, B. J., Wilson, J. F., & Weingartner, P. J. (1991). Psychological sequelae of infertility treatment: The role of gender and sex-role identification. Social Science & Medicine, 33(9), 1071–1080.
Boivin, J., Griffiths, E., & Venetis, A. C. (2011). Emotional distress in infertile women and failure of assisted reproductive technologies: meta-analysis of prospective psychosocial studies. BMJ, 342, 1–9.
Covington, S. N., & Burns, L. H. (2006). Infertility counseling: a comprehensive handbook for clinicians (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Culley, L., Hudson, N., Rapport, F. L., Katbamna, S., & Johnson, M. R. D. (2006). British South Asian communities and fertility services. Human Fertility, 9, 37–45.
CTK. (2013). Léčba neplodnosti v ČR udělala za 30 let obrovsky pokrok. Available at (Date last accessed October 13, 2013): http://zdravi.e15.cz/denni-zpravy/z-domova/lecba-neplodnosti-v-crudelala-za-30-let-obrovsky-pokrok-467418
Diamond, M., Jaffe, J., & Diamond, D. (2005). Unsung lullabies: understanding and coping with infertility. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
Eugster, A., & Vingerhoets, A. (1999). Psychological aspects of in-vitro fertilization: A review. Social Science & Medicine, 48(5), 575–589.
Fossey, E., Harvey, C., McDermott, F., & Davidson, L. (2002). Understanding and evaluating qualitative research. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 36(6), 717–732.
Gibson, D. M., & Myers, J. (2000). Gender and infertility: A relational approach to counseling women. Journal of Counseling & Development, 78(4), 400–410.
Glasser, B. (1965). The constant comparative method of qualitative analysis. Social Problems, 12(4), 436–445.
Glover, L., McLellan, A., & Weaver, S. M. (2009). What does having a fertility problem mean to couples? Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 27(4), 401–418.
Hadley, R. A. & Hanley, T. S. (2011). Involuntarily childless men and the desire for fatherhood. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 29(1), 56–68.
Harvard. (2009). The psychological impact of infertility and its treatment. Harvard Mental Health Letter, 25(11), 1–3.
Hjelmstedt, A., Andersson, L., Skoog-Svanberg, A., Bergh, T., Boivin, J., & Collins, A. (1999). Gender differences in psychological reactions to infertility among couples seeking IVF- and ISCI-treatment. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 78(1), 42–49.
Holter, H., Anderheim, L., Bergh, C., & Moller, A. (2006). First IVF treatment — short-term impact on psychological well-being and the marital relationship. Human Reproduction, 21(12), 3295–3302.
Jacob, C. M., McQuillan, J., & Greil, A. L. (2007). Psychological distress by type of infertility barrier. Human Reproduction, 22, 885–894.
Johnson, K. M., & Johnson, D. R. (2009). Partnered decisions? U.S. couples and medical help-seeking for infertility. Family Relations, 58, 431–444.
Jordan, C., & Revenson, T. A. (1999). Gender differences in coping with infertility: A meta-analysis. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, Vol. 22 (4), 341–358.
Mascarenhas, M. N., Flaxman, S. R., Boerma, T., Vanderpoel, S., & Stevens, G. A. (2012). National, regional, and global trends in infertility prevalence since 1990: A systematic analysis of 277 health surveys. PLoS Medicine, 12, 1–12.
National Register of Assisted Reproduction (2013). Available at (Date last accessed May 23, 2014): http://www.uzis.cz/registry/narodni-zdravotni-registry/nr-reprodukcniho-zdravi/nr-asistovanereprodukce
Pasch, L. A., Dunkel-Schetter, C., & Christensen, A. (2002). Differences between husbands’ and wives’ approach to infertility affect marital communication and adjustment. Fertility & Sterility, 77(6), 1241.
Peterson, B. D., Newton, C. R., Rosen, K. H., & Skaggs, G. E. (2006). Gender differences in how men and women who are referred for IVF cope with infertility stress. Human Reproduction, 21(9), 2443–2449.
Prasanta, K. D., & Swarnali, S. (2010). Psychological aspects of infertility. British Journal of Medical Practitioners, 3, 32–34.
Redshaw, M., Hockley, C. & Davidson, L. L. (2007). A qualitative study of the experience of treatment for infertility among women who successfully became pregnant. Human Reproduction, 22, 295–304.
Schmidt, L. (2009). Social and psychological consequences of infertility and assisted reproduction — what are the research priorities? Human Fertility, 12(1), 14–20.
Shapiro, C. (2009). Therapy with infertile heterosexual couples: It’s not about gender — or is it? Clinical Social Work Journal, 37(2), 140–149.
Slepičková, L. (2009): Neplodnost jeho a neplodnost jeji: Genderove aspekty asistovane reprodukce. Sociologický c asopis/Czech Sociological Review, 45(1), 177–203.
Stanton, A. L., & Dunkel-Schetter, C. (1991). Psychological adjustment to infertility: An overview of conceptual approaches. In A. L. Stanton & C. Dunkel-Schetter (Eds.), Infertility: Perspectives from stress and coping research. New York: Plenum Press.
Strauss, B. (2002). Involuntary childlessness: Psychological assessment, counseling, and psychotherapy. Seattle: Hogrefe & Huber.
White, L., McQuillan, J., Greil, A. L., & Johnson, D. R. (2006). Infertility: Testing a helpseeking model. Social Science & Medicine, 62(4), 1031–1041.
WHO. (2013). Sexual and reproductive health. Available at (Date last accessed October 3, 2013): http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/infertility.html
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
About this article
Cite this article
Davidová, K., Pechová, O. Infertility and assisted reproduction technologies through a gender lens. Humaff 24, 363–375 (2014). https://doi.org/10.2478/s13374-014-0234-9
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s13374-014-0234-9