Studying the Relationship between the Attitude to Infertility and Coping Strategies in Couples Undergoing Assisted Reproductive Treatments.

BACKGROUND: Using appropriate coping strategies has a positive influence on moderating mental pressures caused by infertility and the stress during treatment. Using these strategies needs personal skills and they could be influenced by individual's inner psychological and environmental factors. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between the attitude toward infertility and coping strategies considering the couple's social and financial situation. METHODS: This was a cross sectional study conducted on 133 volunteered couples undergoing assisted reproductive treatment. Coping strategies and the attitude toward infertility were assessed using a self-report questionnaire. Higher scores of attitude indicated positive attitudes. Data was analyzed using paired-samples t test and multiple regression model. RESULTS: Independent from demographic information and causes of infertility, using self-blame and self-focused rumination coping strategies were negatively related to attitude toward infertility in both men and women (p<0.05). Also, using self-blame coping strategy had a positive correlation with female infertility and negative correlation with male infertility. CONCLUSION: Regardless of the economic and social conditions, in infertile couples, downward trend in attitude toward infertility is mostly associated with the use of maladaptive coping strategies.

The relations between marital quality, social support, social acceptance and coping strategies among the infertile Iranian couples.

OBJECTIVE: Researchers aimed to assess marital quality among the infertile couples undergoing assistive reproductive treatments and their coping strategies, social support and social acceptance. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 133 infertile couples undergoing assisted reproductive treatments were assessed for marital satisfaction, conflict resolution and marital communication, and coping strategies, using a self-report questionnaire. Also, the level of perceived social support and social acceptance as moderator variables were measured. Data were analyzed using independent t test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and linear regressions, after adjusting for age, cause of infertility and the duration of infertility. RESULTS: No significant difference was found in the use of various coping strategies between couples. The correlation for marital satisfaction, marital communication and conflict resolution by using some coping strategy and the level of perceived social acceptance were significantly positive among women. Also, marital relationships had a positive and significant correlation with the level of perceived social support for men. But, unlike women, the couples' scales were significant for the perceived social support. The use of different coping strategies by men and women had a positive correlation with their perceived social support. CONCLUSION: Coping strategies used by the infertile couples had an important role in different aspects of their married life in search of marital satisfaction, and intermediates by the perceived social acceptance for women and social support for men.

Knowledge of reproductive physiology and hormone therapy in 40-60 year old women: a population-based study in Yazd, Iran.

UNLABELLED: Background : Evidences shows that menopause affects women's health, but women's knowledge of proper care and maintenance is insufficient. OBJECTIVE: To determine knowledge of hormone therapy (HT), reproductive physiology, and menopause in a population of 40-60 year old women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted through a cluster sampling among 330 women in Yazd, Islamic Republic of Iran, in 2010. Data was collected using a questionnaire containing questions about reproductive physiology related to menopause and HT by interviewing. Inferential and descriptive statistics via SPSS.15 software were used for data analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 2.1% of women were current takers of HT, 13.4% had taken it in the past but had stopped and 84.5% had never taken hormone replacement therapy. Iranian women had low knowledge of HT, reproductive physiology, and menopause. Most of the women (85.5%) knew that hot flashes are common around menopause and only 77.2% knew decreasing estrogen production causes the menopause. They knew little about the effects of progestagens and the effects of HT on fertility. Logistic regression determined that age, educational level and BMI were the most important factors predicting use of HT after adjusting for other variables. CONCLUSION: Iranian women have a low HT usage rate and the majority of them are lacking of the knowledge about HT and menopause. Women need improved knowledge of the risks and benefits of HT as well as education about the reproductive system around menopause.