Skip to main content
Log in

Spiritual and Religious Issues of Stigmatization Women with Infertility: A Qualitative Study

Spiritual and Religious Issues of Stigmatization

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Religion and Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the perceptions of women with infertility on stigma and religious and spiritual issues of stigmatization. The phenomenological method was used for the study consisting of a research sample of 12 women with infertility who were selected through the criterion sampling method. This study found that women related their experience of infertility to stress and the will of God. They were extremely sad and unhappy and went through an exhausting and fearful process. They faced social isolation, spiritual problems when their friends and relatives told other people their story of infertility.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Boz, İ., & Okumuş, H. (2017). The “Everything About the Existence” experiences of turkish women with infertility: Solicited diaries in qualitative research. J Nurs Res, 25(4), 268–275.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Corrigan, P. W., & Watson, A. C. (2002). The paradox of self-stigma and mental illness. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 9(1), 35–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ercan, R. (2014). Chıld ımages of theır parents. The Journal of Academic Social Science Studies International, 30, 377–396.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forsythe, S. (2009). Social stigma and the medicalisation of infertility. Journal o/the Manitoba Anthropology Students’ Association, 28, 22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez, L. O. (2000). Infertility as a transformational process: A framework for psychotherapeutic support of infertile women. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 21, 619–633.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Greil, A. L., McQuillan, J., & Slauson-Blevins, K. (2011). The social construction of infertility. Sociology Compass, 5(8), 736–746.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guz, H., Ozkan, A., Sarısoy, G., Yanık, F., Yanık, A., & Schuılıng, G. A. (2003). Psychiatric symptoms in Turkish infertile women. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology., 24(4), 267–271.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hasanpoor-Azghdy, S. B., Simbar, M., & Vedadhir, A. (2014). The emotional-psychological consequences of infertility among infertile women seeking treatment: Results of a qualitative study. Iranian Journal of Reproductive Medicine, 12(2), 131–138.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Karaca, A., & Unsal, G. (2015). Psychosocial problems and coping strategies among turkish women with ınfertility. Asian Nursing Research, 9(3), 243–250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kavlak, O., & Saruhan, A. (2002). A study on determinatıon the lonelıness level ın ınfertıle women and to assess the factors that effect the lonelıness level. Ege Journal of Medicine, 41, 229–232.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kızılkaya Beji, N. (2001). Problems related to fertility and changing role of nurse. In N. Kızılkaya Beji (Ed.), Infertility problem, assisted reproductive techniques and nursing approach (pp. 103–141). Istanbul Emek Matbaacilik: İstanbul.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klitzman, R. (2018). How infertility patients and providers view and confront religious and spiritual issues. Journal of religion and health, 57(1), 223–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lalos, A., Jacobsson, L., Lalos, O., & Von Schoultz, B. (1985). The wish to have a child: A pilot study with infertile couples. Acta Psychiatric Scand., 72, 476–481.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McQuillan, J., Greil, A. L., White, L., & Jacob, M. C. (2003). Frustrated fertility: Infertility and psychological distress among women. J. Marriage Fam., 65(4), 1007–1018.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naab, F., Brown, R., & Heidrich, S. (2013). Psychosocial health of infertile Ghanaian women and their infertility beliefs. Journal of Nursing Scholarship., 45(2), 132–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nahar, P., & Richters, A. (2011). Suffering of childless women in Bangladesh: The intersection of social identities of gender and class. Medical Anthropology, 18, 327–338.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nazik, E. (2016). Common sexual and reproductive health problems in adult women. In A. Keser, F. Yildirim, & M. Kaplan (Eds.), Being a woman in health in disease (p. 231). Ankara: Nobel Medical Bookstores.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ogawa, M., Takamatsu, K., & Horiguchi, F. (2011). Evaluation of factors associated with the anxiety and depression of female infertility patients. BioPsychoSocial Medicine, 5, 15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Onat, G., & Kızılkaya Beji, N. (2012). Effects of infertility on gender differences in marital relationship and quality of life: A case control study of Turkish couples. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, 165, 243–248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oti-Boadi, M., & Oppong Asante, K. (2017). Psychological health and religious coping of Ghanaian women with infertility. BioPsychoSocial Medicine, 11(20), 2–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • 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), 2443–2499.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt, L. (2009). Social and psychological consequences of infertility and assisted reproduction—What are the research priorities? Human Fertility, 12(1), 14–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sezgin, H., & Hocaoğlu, Ç. (2014). Psychiatric aspects of infertility. Current Approaches in Psychiatry., 6(2), 165–184.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sternke, E. A., & Abrahamson, K. (2015). Perceptions of women with infertility on stigma and disability. Sexuality and Disability, 33(1), 3–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu, C.-P., & Wu, C.-I. (2017). Stigma of infertility and privacy invasion in medical spaces. institute of sociology R2313. Academia Sinica, Sec. 2, Academia Rd., Nankang District, Taipei City 115, Taiwan, No.128

  • Yıldırım, A., & Şimşek, H. (2005). Qualitative research methods in social sciences (p. 107). Ankara: Seçkin Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yılmaz, A. (2004). Women in Turkish Cultur. Millî Folklor, 16, 61.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

RHA conceived, designed and did statistical analysis and editing of manuscript and did review and final approval of manuscript. NKB did data collection and manuscript writing

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rukiye Höbek Akarsu.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors acknowledge the contributions of all patients who took part in the study and thank the clerical staff of the clinic where these data were gathered. There is no conflict of interest between the authors.

Ethical Approval

Ethical approval was acquired from the Ethics Committee of Bozok University (number of decisions: 604-144). Written permission was obtained from the hospital where the study was conducted. “İnformed consent” was obtained from participants the after explaining the study’s aim, plan, and its expectations from the participants. Participation in the study was voluntary. We told the participants that they were free to participate or not participate, that they could withdraw from the study at any point and that they had the right to abstain from providing information. This article oral presentation 1st International East Coast Mediterranean Midwifery Congress.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Höbek Akarsu, R., Kızılkaya Beji, N. Spiritual and Religious Issues of Stigmatization Women with Infertility: A Qualitative Study. J Relig Health 60, 256–267 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-019-00884-w

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-019-00884-w

Keywords

Navigation