Definition
Infertility is defined as the inability to become pregnant with regular intercourse without the use of contraception within 1 year for women up to age 35 and within 6 months for women older than 35. The term infertility is not synonymous with the term sterility (i.e., the physically or medically diagnosed inability to become pregnant). Couples with diagnosed infertility may become pregnant through natural intercourse or through the assistance of fertility treatments. Such treatments range from administration of medication to more advanced techniques such as intrauterine insemination (IUI) or assisted reproductive technologies (ART) involving the handling of both sperm and egg, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). Fertility treatments also may involve third-party reproductive options including the use of donor...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences and Readings
Abbey, A., Halman, L. J., & Andrews, F. M. (1992). Psychosocial, treatment, and demographic predictors of the stress associated with infertility. Fertility and Sterility, 57(1), 122–128.
Boivin, J. (2003). A review of psychosocial interventions in infertility. Social Science & Medicine, 57(12), 2325–2341.
Chandra, A., Martinez, G. M., Mosher, W. D., Abma, J. C., & Jones, J. (2005). Fertility, family planning, and reproductive health of U.S. women: Data from the 2002 national survey of family growth. Vital Health Statistics, 23(25), 1–160.
Eugster, A., & Vingerhoets, A. J. (1999). Psychological aspects of in vitro fertilization: A review. Social Science & Medicine, 48(5), 575–589.
Greil, A. L. (1997). Infertility and psychological distress: A critical review of the literature (Review). Social Science & Medicine, 45(11), 1679–1704.
Hammarberg, K., Astbury, J., & Baker, H. (2001). Women’s experience of IVF: A follow-up study. Human Reproduction, 16(2), 374–383.
Homan, G., Davies, M., & Norman, R. (2007). The impact of lifestyle factors on reproductive performance in the general population and those undergoing infertility treatment: A review. Human Reproduction Update, 13(3), 209.
King, R. B. (2003). Subfecundity and anxiety in a nationally representative sample. Social Science & Medicine, 56(4), 739–751.
Malik, S. H., & Coulson, N. S. (2008). Computer-mediated infertility support groups: An exploratory study of online experiences. Patient Education and Counseling, 73(1), 105–113.
Mindes, E. J., Ingram, K. M., Kliewer, W., & James, C. A. (2003). Longitudinal analyses of the relationship between unsupportive social interactions and psychological adjustment among women with fertility problems. Social Science & Medicine, 56(10), 2165–2180.
Resolve. The national infertility association. http://www.resolve.org.
Schmidt, L., Holstein, B. E., Christensen, U., & Boivin, J. (2005). Communication and coping as predictors of fertility problem stress: cohort study of 816 participants who did not achieve a delivery after 12 months of fertility treatment. Human Reproduction, 20(11), 3248–3256.
Slade, P., O'Neill, C., Simpson, A. J., & Lashen, H. (2007). The relationship between perceived stigma, disclosure patterns, support and distress in new attendees at an infertility clinic. Human Reproduction, 22(8), 2309–2317.
Verhaak, C. M., Smeenk, J. M., Evers, A. W., Kremer, J. A., Kraaimaat, F. W., & Braat, D. D. (2007). Women’s emotional adjustment to IVF: A systematic review of 25 years of research (Review). Human reproduction update, 13(1), 27–36.
White, L., McQuillan, J., & Greil, A. L. (2006). Explaining disparities in treatment seeking: The case of infertility. Fertility and Sterility, 85(4), 853–857. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2005.11.039.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media, New York
About this entry
Cite this entry
Geller, P.A., Nelson, A. (2013). Infertility and Assisted Reproduction: Psychosocial Aspects. In: Gellman, M.D., Turner, J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_1312
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_1312
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-1004-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-1005-9
eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine