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Infertility, Loss and Adoption: An Indian Experience

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Abstract

In India, secrecy and stigma are associated with infertility and adoption choice. This paper presents the findings of a phenomenological study which examined psychological (emotional) and socio-cultural experiences of seven Indian adoptive parents through the retrospective accounts of their pre-adoption phase. This phase analyzed the coping of childless couples with a diagnosis of primary/secondary infertility while undergoing various assisted reproductive techniques for several years and then opting for adoption. Amidst the deep-seated socio-cultural belief in pronatalism, a non-kinship domestic adoption process was followed as an alternative to biological parenthood. An interpretative phenomenological analysis highlighted the pertinent themes related to gender differences in grief resolution, surrogacy vs. adoption option, belief in theory of ‘karma’ (destiny), perception of body image and role of women in adoption initiation. The themes are further supported by the views of Indian adoption social workers and the medical professionals, to have the holistic framework of the psychological journey of pre-adoptive couples. These findings would be particularly relevant not only for researchers in South Asian/Southeast Asian countries where the area of infertility and adoption is under-researched but also for those studying the emotional voyage of childless couples to attain adoptive parenthood in other cultural contexts. The paper recommends the interventions required at the level of government, community, adoption agencies and therapeutic services.

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Notes

  1. Sama-Resource Group for Women and Health is an India based women's group working on women issues.

    especially health (http://www.samawomenshealth.in/).

  2. Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) https://tiss.edu/view/6/research/institutional-review-board/

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Independent Researcher, Bahrain, Manama, Bahrain

    Sahana Mitra

  2. Centre for Human Ecology, School of Human Ecology, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India

    Rajani Konantambigi

  3. Director of Center for Early Childhood Education and Development (CECED), Ambedkar University, Delhi, India

    Vrinda Datta

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SM collected the data and conducted the analysis. Prof. RMK supervised the findings of this work. SM wrote the manuscript. All authors provided critical feedback and helped shape the research and analysis. The first draft of the manuscript was written by SM and Professor MGS critically evaluated it. All the authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Sahana Mitra.

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Mitra, S., Konantambigi, R. & Datta, V. Infertility, Loss and Adoption: An Indian Experience. Psychol Stud 68, 434–446 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-023-00738-2

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