The Social Construction of Infertility among Ira-nian Infertile Women

Background: Infertility is considered an important phenom-enon in couples’ life. Infertility and its treatment process in-fluence all aspects of the individual’s life. This study aimed to explain the psycho-social process of the social construction of infertility among Iranian infertile women.Materials and Methods: This was a qualitative study using a grounded theory approach. The study setting was the Vali-e-Asr Fertility Health Research Center and Avicenna Infertility Center in Tehran. The sampling started purposefully and it was continued theoretically. The data collection was performed by using 36 semi-structured interviews, observation and field notes with 27 women who suffered from primary and secondary in-fertility having no living children. The method suggested by Strauss and Corbin was used for data analysis.Results: Results indicate that ‘Concerns over life instability’ and ‘being judged by others’ were the participants’ most impor-tant preoccupation. Attempts to stabilize life and get rid of be-ing judged by others were key aspects of the social construction of infertility and the main strategies for resolving their preoc-cupation. This core concept explained the basic psychological-social process of infertility in relation to axial codes. Couple’s interactions, family and society’s judgment performance, and the effect and control of treatment process over the life cycle were causal conditions of concerns, which initiated the process of stabilizing life and getting rid of being judged by others. Personal beliefs and motivations for childbearing and the psy-chosocial consequences of infertility (as the context) created conditions under which the participants went through this pro-cess. The characteristics of infertile women and the existence of social supporters against its absence were considered to be the intervening conditions facilitated or limited this process. Hope for treatment interventions against its damages, couples’ closer relationships against the threat to life instabilities, relieving or adapting to Psychological stress against its increase and spir-itual growth against spiritual challenges were the consequences of the process.Conclusion: The results of the study show that various interac-tive factors affect the social construction of infertility among infertile women who are focused on the central concept of at-tempts to stabilize life and get rid of being judged by others. Therefore, in order to achieve this goal, infertile women should be empowered by effective coping strategies.

Keywords:

Social Construction , Infertility , Infertile Women , Grounded Theory