"Escaping the Gender Prison"-Transgender Men's Experience Before and After Hysterectomy: A Qualitative Study.

This study aimed to examine the experiences of female-to-male transgendered individuals (FtMs) who underwent gender-affirming hysterectomy (GAH) and to investigate patients' perceptions of GAH and their expectations and support needs from healthcare professionals before and after the surgery. The study used a phenomenological approach and a qualitative research method. Data were collected through in-depth interviews. The sample was selected using diversity sampling, which is one of the deliberate sampling methods. The study included 20 FtMs with a GAH in Turkey between February 2022 and 2023. As a result of the study, participants identified three main themes: experiences with body and gender identity, experiences with health professionals and systems, and mental and physical recovery from surgery. FtMs individuals reported less distress and more happiness after undergoing a hysterectomy. The participants expected health professionals and society to raise awareness, normalize the process, and improve legal procedures. They advocated for legal regulations that address reproductive deprivation and identity issues without surgery and the ability to freeze oocytes before hysterectomy. This study sheds light on the experiences of transgender FtMs before and after GAH. These findings can potentially improve gender-affirming healthcare, particularly in our country.

Anxiety and Depression Levels of Nurses in the COVID-19 Pandemic and Their Effect in Menstrual Cycle.

AIM: This study aimed to identify how anxiety and depression levels of female nurses were affected during the coronavirus disease 19 pandemic and its effect on their menstruation cycles. METHOD: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 522 female nurses. The data were collected using an online Google questionnaire for sociodemographic and menstrual characteristics and the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Student's t-test, the chi-squared test, and binary logistic regression. The data were obtained from an online Google questionnaire for sociodemographic and menstrual characteristics and the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale from August to October 2020. RESULTS: According to the findings, 53.3% of participants were at risk for anxiety and 66.3% were at risk for depression. While 58.6% of them had experienced menstrual irregularities in the last 6 months, 72.9 of them were at risk for depression, and 59.8 of them were at risk for anxiety. Logistic regression found a significant association between anxiety, depression, and regular menstruation. The anxiety levels of the nurses with irregular menstruation were 1.114 times higher and their depression levels were 1.119 times higher. CONCLUSION: This study determined female nurses' anxiety and depression levels during the pandemic and their effect on the nurses' menstrual patterns. Female nurses are at risk of anxiety and depression during the pandemic, and this affects their menstrual cycles negatively.

Effects of Biofeedback-Guided Pelvic Floor Muscle Training With and Without Extracorporeal Magnetic Innervation Therapy on Stress Incontinence: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the effects of biofeedback-guided pelvic floor muscle training (EMG-BF), with and without extracorporeal magnetic innervation (EMG-BF+ExMI) therapy on lower urinary tract symptoms based on frequency of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and grams of urine loss, health-related quality of life, and sexual function in women with SUI. DESIGN: This was a randomized controlled trial. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: The sample comprised 51 adult women with SUI. Their mean age was 50.92 years (SD 8.88). Twenty-six were randomly allocated to EMG-BF alone and 25 were allocated to undergo EMG-BF+ExMI. METHODS: This study's main outcome was lower urinary tract symptoms measured via the 1-hour pad test (grams of urine loss) and a 3-day bladder diary (frequency of stress incontinence episodes). Additional outcome measures were health-related quality of life measured with the Incontinence Quality of Life (I-QOL) questionnaire, sexual function evaluated via the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and pelvic floor muscle contraction force measured via a perineometer and Modified Oxford Scale (MOS). All participants underwent biofeedback-enhanced pelvic floor muscle training using EMG during 20-minute sessions twice weekly for a period of 8 weeks. In addition to the EMG-BF+ExMI group, ExMI was applied during 20-minute sessions twice weekly for a period of 8 weeks. Participants from both groups were asked to perform pelvic floor muscle exercises at home (60 pelvic floor muscle contractions daily, divided into 3 sessions of 20 contractions each). Outcome measures were made at baseline and repeated at the end of treatment. RESULTS: Fifteen (57.7%) in the EMG-BF group and 13 (52.0%) in the EMG-BF+ExMI group achieved dryness. Four participants (15.4%) in the EMG-BF group and 5 (20%) in the EMG-BF+ExMI group experienced improvement. Seven patients (26.9%) in the EMG-BF group and 7 (28%) in the EMG-BF+ExMI group did not benefit from the treatments. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of cure and improvement (P = .895). CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate that use of magnetic innervation does not improve lower urinary tract symptoms, health-related quality of life, sexual function, and pelvic floor muscle strength when compared to pelvic floor muscle training alone.

Investigating Pelvic Floor Muscle Strength in Women of Reproductive Age and Factors Affecting It.

This descriptive study was designed to investigate the pelvic floor muscle strength (PFMS) of women aged 18 to 49 years and to examine the factors that may have an effect on PFMS. The study was conducted on 258 women who visited a gynecology outpatient clinic between January 2019 and January 2020, who met the research criteria, and who agreed to participate in the study. The data were collected using the Sociodemographic Characteristics Information Form. The Modified Oxford Scale (MOS) and a perineometer were used to evaluate the PFMS of the women. The mean PFMS value measured using the perineometer was 31.56 ± 12.17 cmH2O (moderate pressure). The PFMS values were 20.00 to 29.9 cmH2O (weak pressure) and 30.00 to 39.9 cmH2O (moderate pressure) in 23.6% of the women, respectively. The PFMS values measured with MOS were of grade 3 strength (moderate pressure) in 23.6% of the women and grade 2 strength (weak pressure) in 23.3%. A statistically significant strong correlation was found between the perineometer measurement and the women's MOS values. Moreover, a statistically significant difference was found between the PFMS values measured with the perineometer, MOS scores, and women's age groups, educational status, marital status, employment status, income status, persistent cough, use of nicotine, alcohol and coffee consumptions, chronic constipation, history of frequent urinary tract infections, regular exercise, body mass index, history of pregnancy, mode of delivery, use of episiotomy at birth, perineal rupture at birth, use of forceps vacuum at birth, multiple pregnancies, delivery of a baby weighing ≥4,000 g, treatment during pregnancy, hysterectomy, menopause, frequency of sexual intercourse, and pain during sexual intercourse (p < .05). We conclude that most of the women in the study had weak to moderate PFMS, that the evaluation of PFMS with the MOS positively overlapped with the perineometric measurements, and that a number of sociodemographic and obstetric variables act as risk factors that affect PFMS. The PFMS of all women should be assessed as part of their routine gynecological examinations.

Investigation of the Relationship Between Maternal Attachment and Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy and Affecting Factors in Turkish Sample.

PURPOSE: This research aimed to investigate the factors affecting the perception of mothers about breastfeeding self-efficacy and their maternal attachment between the fourth and eighth postnatal weeks and their relation. DESIGN AND METHODS: This research, which is descriptive, was conducted on 351 postpartum women between December 2017-2018. The study used the Mother Descriptive Information Form, Maternal Attachment Inventory (MAI), and the Short Form of the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale (BSES-SF). RESULTS: It was found that, mothers' mean scores on the BSES-SF and MAI were affected by their educational level, the status of regular health checkups during the last pregnancy, the number of visits for health checkups during the last pregnancy, the place where they held their babies, the status of breastfeeding previous babies, prenatal breastfeeding training, the status of finding their own breast milk sufficient, the time when they first breastfed the baby, the first food the baby received, the status of being willing to breastfeed, the status of having fatigue due to breastfeeding, the planned duration of breastfeeding, the status of using additional infant formula, and the status of having a close relative or friend also breastfeeding. It was also determined that there was a low positive relationship between breastfeeding self-efficacy and maternal attachment. CONCLUSIONS: The level of breastfeeding self-efficacy and maternal attachment status of mothers should be determined in the postpartum period, and health personnel should intervene on alterable factors that adversely affect breastfeeding self-efficacy and attachment status, especially in mothers at risk.

Ameliorative effect of edible Halopteris scoparia against cadmium-induced reproductive toxicity in male mice: A biochemical and histopathologic study.

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic metal affecting the reproductive system. Halopteris scoparia (brown algae) is generally consumed as a salad in the Far East countries. This study was conducted to compare and determine the possible protective effects of H. scoparia and vitamin E and C combination (VEC) against cadmium chloride (CdCl2 )-induced reproductive toxicity. A total of 36 male mice were equally divided into as control, CdCl2 (2 mg/kg), CdCl2  + H. scoparia (900 mg/kg), CdCl2  + VEC (200 mg/kg), H. scoparia alone and VEC alone groups. Blood and testis samples were taken for biochemical, histochemical and immunohistochemical analyses. H. scoparia was also examined for antioxidant activity (by DPPH assay) and mineral/trace element content (by ICP-MS method). CdCl2 exposure caused a significant deterioration in body weight, sperm parameters (count, motility, viability and morphology) (p < .001), histopathology, immunoreactivity and testosterone levels. However, H. scoparia improved CdCl2 -induced deterioration effects more successfully than VEC-treated group. The present study suggests that edible H. scoparia can be used as a natural protective agent against Cd-induced testicular damage by possibly enhancing essential element levels or increasing antioxidant defence system.

Investigation of body image, self-esteem, and quality of life in women with urinary incontinence.

AIM: The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of urinary incontinence on body image, self-esteem, and quality of life. METHODS: The study was conducted with 218 women with urinary incontinence. The study data were collected using the Socio-Demographic Characteristics Questionnaire, Body Cathexis Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Incontinence Quality of Life Questionnaire. RESULTS: There was a weak, statistically significant, positive relationship found between the Body Cathexis Scale total average scores and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale total average scores of the women and a weak, statistically significant, negative relationship with the Incontinence Quality of Life Questionnaire total average scores. In addition, a weak, statistically significant, negative relationship was found between the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale total score averages and Incontinence Quality of Life Questionnaire total score averages. Significant effects were seen for body image score with pad usage; for self-esteem in relation to number of deliveries, duration, and frequency of urinary incontinence; and for incontinence quality of life and duration and frequency of urinary incontinence and pad usage. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that most of the women with urinary incontinence had negative body image and that more than half of them had moderate or low self-esteem and a moderate quality of life.

Sexual function and Dyadic adjustment in women with urinary incontinence.

OBJECTIVE: This study was planned to evaluate the effects of urinary incontinence (UI) on sexual function (SF) and dyadic adjustment. METHODS: The study was conducted with 203 women with urinary incontinence. This study was conducted at Urogynecology Outpatient Clinic of our hospital between September 2017 and February 2018. Data were collected using the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), and "Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). RESULTS: The incidence of sexual dysfunction (SD) was higher in the patients who were in advanced age, had a husband older than them, entered menopause, had lower levels of education, had the higher frequency of UI and changed pads more frequently, and these patients had lower DAS scores. CONCLUSION: It was determined that the majority of the participating women with UI experienced SD and that those with SD had lower DAS scores.

[The Effect of Using High Fidelity Birthing Simulator on Satisfaction and Performance of Nursing Students in Developing Obstetric Skills]. / Obstetrik Becerilerin Gelistirilmesinde Gerçeklige Yakinligi Yüksek Dogum Simülatörü Kullaniminin Hemsirelik Ögrencilerinin Memnuniyet ve Performansi Üzerine Etkisi.

AIM: Research was carried out to examine the effect of training with realizing high fidelity birthing simulator on obstetric skill applications and satisfaction levels of students with in the scope of obstetric diagnostic applications. METHOD: The sample of the research, which was conducted in semi-experimental design, consisted of 90 students. In the study, the students in experiment group with high fidelity birthing simulator (n=47) and the students in control group (n=43) using basic-level modeling, not including advanced technology were in obstetric skills training in order to perform physical examination of pregnant and postpartum women. During collection of research data following forms were used; Obstetric Diagnostic Clinical Skills Guides, Satisfaction from Education Methods Survey and Professional Skills Laboratory Feedback Form. The socio-demographic data obtained from study were evaluated with number and percentage distributions using the Statistical Package for Social Science for Windows Version 15.0 package program. Independent Sample T Test, Mann-Withney U Test and Chi-Square Test were used for comparison between groups. RESULTS: Obstetric skill mean scores of the students in the experiment group were significantly higher than the control group. No significant difference was found between the groups in terms of satisfaction with the education method. The students in the experiment group responded more positively to " the suitability of the laboratory physics environment, the adequacy of the materials and adaptation with theoretical knowledge of the laboratory applications. Eighty one percent of the students in the experiment group and 58% of the students in the control group stated that "Laboratory practice" found sufficient. CONCLUSION: When using a high-fidelity birth simulator, students' laboratory skills are more adequate and their feedbacks towards laboratory studies are more positive. As a result of study it is recommended that the simulation-based education is widely used by nursing students at laboratory studies prior to clinic applications in universities providing education at the bachelor degree.

An examination of the sexual functions of patients who underwent a gynecologic cancer operation and received brachytherapy.

OBJECTIVE: This study was planned as a descriptive study for the purpose of examining the sexual functions of patients' who underwent a gynecological operation and received brachytherapy. METHODS: The study was conducted with 118 women who attended the Radiation Oncology Unit at Ege University Medical Faculty Hospital in Izmir Province for Gynecological Oncology follow-up, who participated voluntarily and were assigned using the random sampling method. The participants were married, sexually active, had a diagnosis of gynecologic cancer, underwent an operation and received brachytherapy for four months after the operation. The Individual Identification Form and Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) were used as the data collection tools. RESULTS: The average age of women who participated in study was 50.90±7.98 and 41.5% of them had completed primary school. About 60% of the participants had cervical cancer and 69.5% had a total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oopherectomy. The FSFI average score was determined to be 15.77±8.71. It was found that 97.5% of the participants received fewer than 30 points from the scale and these participants thus experienced sexual dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: According to the findings obtained from the study, almost all thewomen that had an operation as a result of adiagnosis of gynecologic cancer and received brachytherapy experienced sexual dysfunction.

Use of the internet related to infertility by infertile women and men in Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: To determine differences in use of the Internet related to infertility between infertile women and men, whether they benefit or are negatively affected from information on the Internet, and share this information with health professional. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out with 285 infertile women and 158 men between December 2015 and February 2016. Data were collected by a survey Form which included questions related to sociodemographic characteristics, related to infertility (duration of treatment, type of treatment) and questions about use of the Internet. Chi-square analysis was used to evaluate the differences in Internet use and independent variables for patients. RESULTS: Seventy-four percent of women and 68.4% of men used the Internet related to infertility. Women and men most often looked for information related to assisted reproductive technology and the causes of infertility. Men searched for information related to fertility drugs used in treatment significantly less than women. They often visited the websites of fertility centers and doctors. A high percentage of them have benefited from information on the Internet. Almost half of the women and men shared the information obtained from the Internet with health professional. CONCLUSION: Most frequently, infertile patients use the Internet to obtain information related to infertility and they benefited from information on the Internet. For health professional it is important to direct Internet users to safe and true information resources.

The association between coping method and distress in infertile woman: A cross-sectional study from Turkey.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the distress level in infertile women and their coping skills. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-seven infertile women who had been referred to the Family Planning and Infertility Research and Practice Center (IRPC) of a university hospital to receive therapy between June 2012-2013 were enrolled in this study. Several surveys, including the "Infertile Woman Identification Form", the "Infertility Distress Scale (IDS)" and the "Ways of Coping Inventory (WCI)," were used as data collection tools. RESULTS: The mean age of the women who participated in the study was 32.34 ± 5.44. They had been on therapy for 3.95 ± 3.21 years and had been referred for therapy 2.73 ± 1.76 times. The mean score of the IDS was determined to be 37.0 ± 9.7 (23-66), and the mean score of the WCI subscale was 1.86 ± 0.55 (0.5-3.0). In the IDS and WCI subscales, statistically significant negative relationships were detected between "Optimism" (r=-0.327), "Seeking Social Support" (r=-0.255), and "Self-Confidence" (r=-0.305), whereas there were statistically significant positive relationships between "Helplessness" (r=0.376) and "Submissiveness" (r=0.278) (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: The women who developed negative coping strategies had higher infertility distress scores than other women.

Pregnant Turkish women with low income: their anxiety, health-promoting lifestyles, and related factors.

This paper presents anxiety levels, health-promoting lifestyles and related factors among pregnant Turkish women with low income. A descriptive correlation and cross-sectional study was conducted at a state maternity hospital in Western Turkey. The paper reports on the data (n = 195) from the Spielberg State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP) and a sociodemographic questionnaire. The average HPLP score was low (mean 2.57, SD 0.42). The average STAI score was high (40.67 ± 9.48; 46.40 ± 8.09, respectively). A significant relation was detected between the trait anxiety, state anxiety, antenatal visit, perception of social support, living environment, family type and HPLP (P < 0.05). A moderately negative relation was detected between the mean STAI and HPLP scores. The findings indicate information and data should be provided for service planning and community care to support pregnant Turkish women with low income in communities.

Spontaneous vaginal delivery or caesarean section? What do Turkish women think?

The aim of this study was to describe women's feelings, attitudes and beliefs about different modes of childbirth. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the obstetrics clinics of Ege University and Dr Ekrem Hayri Ustundag Obstetrics and Gynaecology Hospital in Izmir, Turkey. Three-hundred forty-two women who had given birth via spontaneous vaginal delivery (SVD) or caesarean section (C/S) between June and December 2009 voluntarily agreed to participate. Fifty-seven per cent of participants were aged 20-24. Sixty per cent of the women (n = 205) had undergone C/S during their last delivery; among these women, the birth method of 90% (n = 185) was decided by their doctors, whereas the remaining 10% (n = 20) made the decision themselves or with their partners. Sixty-three per cent (n = 250) of women who underwent C/S said that if they gave birth again, they would prefer to deliver via SVD. Eighty-eight per cent (n = 300) of women wanted the legal right to choose their birth method. Although the rate of C/S was high, most women stated that if given the choice, they would prefer a SVD if they had another child.

Pregnant women's use of the internet in relation to their pregnancy in Izmir, Turkey.

This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted in order to determine the extent of internet use by pregnant women to gain information about their pregnancy. The research was conducted in two hospitals in Izmir, Turkey between August and October 2009, after written permission had been obtained. The research sample consisted of 185 pregnant women in at least the 28th week of pregnancy, who accepted to take part in the study. Forty-five percent of the pregnant women had used the internet to obtain information at least once during their pregnancy, and the most researched topics were fetal development, nutrition in pregnancy and the stages of birth. There is a significant difference between the age group, educational level, work status and number of pregnancies and the usage of internet among pregnant women. The women gave the information on the internet 7.13 ± 1.54 out of 10 points for correctness and dependability. Fifty-one percent of the pregnant women stated that they shared the information which they had obtained on the internet with health professionals. About half of the women in the study had used the internet to obtain information on pregnancy, birth and the fetus under various headings.

Transgenerational attachment in Manisa, Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted with the purpose of proving transgenerational attachment by determining the relationship between the adult attachment patterns of mothers and grandmothers as well as the relationship between the adult attachment patterns of mothers and maternal attachment. METHODS: The population of the study consisted of mothers and grandmothers registered with the Manisa Village Clinics. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted between January and July 2007. The universe of research consisted of 1400 infants between 1 and 4 months old and their mothers and grandmothers who lived in the urban center of Manisa. Consequently, research was conducted with 140 mothers and their own mothers by determining the number of individuals needed to serve as sample from 11 village clinics by the Stratified Random Sampling Method. As tools for data collection, a Maternal Attachment Inventory, an Inventory of Experiences in Close Relationships and forms collecting information relating to mothers and grandmothers were prepared and used by the researchers. RESULTS: A positive, strong and significant correlation was determined between the anxiety and avoidance attachment patterns of the mothers and those of the grandmothers (Anxiety: r = 0.556, p < 0.001; Avoidance: r = 0.683, p < 0.001). A negative correlation of medium significance was determined between the anxiety and avoidance attachment patterns of mothers and their maternal attachment (Anxiety: r = -0.321, p < 0.05; Avoidance: r = -0.281, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: It is thought that attachment patterns are transmitted across generations. Considering the fact that attachment is a multifactorial process, it is suggested that nurses and other health personnel should support families in improving the quality of parent-baby interaction. Additional research is needed to focus on improving the analysis and development of new strategies which will enrich the secure attachment level of the mothers of today, who will become the grandmothers of the future.

Attitudes towards family planning among women seeking induced abortion in Izmir, Turkey.

OBJECTIVES: To assess contraceptive knowledge, use of emergency contraception (EC) and the motives of women seeking induced abortion. METHODS: A descriptive and cross-sectional study conducted at the T. C. Izmir Dr. Hayri Ekrem Ustundag Gynaecology and Maternity Hospital and the Izmir Ataturk Research and Teaching Hospital, Turkey. The research sample consisted of 440 women who requested an abortion between January and May 2010, and voluntarily agreed to participate. RESULTS: Sixty-two percent of the women became pregnant while using family planning (FP) methods. The contraceptive used by 42% was the condom, and 45% believed that they had become pregnant because of improper use of the contraceptive. Ninety-three percent had never used EC. Thirty-seven percent wanted their pregnancy terminated because they did not want another child, whereas 26% viewed induced abortion as a method of FP. Sixty-nine percent of the women received FP counselling from health professionals, and 80% found the information provided adequate. CONCLUSION: The women assessed were insufficiently knowledgeable about FP in general and EC in particular. Many had become pregnant as a result of inaccurate information.

The evaluation of school of health students' knowledge and behavior of healthy life-styles of related to importance to prevent cancer.

This study was planned as a descriptive evaluation of School of Health students knowledge and healthy lifestyle behavior related to prevention of cancer. The study has been carried out in Nursing, Midwifery and Health Official Departments at Celal Bayar University School of Health, between November 2007 and January 2008. The subjects comprised 345 volunteer students. The data were collected using a questionnaire covering nutritional status and attitudes related to the prevention from cancer, and results were assessed using the Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile Scale. The mean age was 20.9 ∓ 2.01 years and 22.6% were male. Some 88.4% of the students considered cancer to be a preventable illness and 70.1% of them believed that it could be prevented by healthy nutrition. The mean score of the Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile Scale was 124.8 (SD, 19.9). In conclusion, it was found that students participating in this study have good level of knowledge on cancer prevention. Health behavior was found to be moderate.

Sexual activity, knowledge and contraceptive usage by gender among university students in Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: To assess sexual activity and contraceptive knowledge and practice by gender among university students. METHODS: Descriptive and cross-sectional study conducted at Ege University, Turkey, with 1000 volunteering students. Data collection was stopped when 500 students of each gender had participated. RESULTS: Of the surveyed students, 50.3% (27.4% female, 73.2% male) reported having had sexual intercourse; the mean age at first sexual intercourse was 18.4 years for girls and 16.9 years for boys. We found that 44.5% of female and 30.6% of male students failed to use contraception at their first coitus, whereas 2.2% of female and 13.7% of male students failed to do so at their most recent intercourse. The rate of condom usage for students' first sexual encounter was 50.1% (35.8% female, 55.5% male) and was 67.8% (70.1% female, 66.9% male) at their most recent intercourse. Abortion was mentioned by 43.9% of female and 39.2% of male students as a method of preventing pregnancy after unprotected coitus. CONCLUSION: Male Turkish students had started sexual relations at a younger age but had less often unprotected first sex than female students.

Differences in quality of life between infertile women and men in Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: To examine potential differences in quality of life between infertile women and men. DESIGN: A descriptive, cross-sectional design. METHOD: A questionnaire was used to collect individuals' sociodemographic data; the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) tool was used to collect information about quality of life. PARTICIPANTS: The research sample comprised 248 infertile individuals (141 women and 107 men) admitted to the clinic for the first time for diagnosis and treatment between January 1 and June 30, 2007, and who voluntarily agreed to participate. SETTING: The research was conducted at the Ege University Family Planning and Infertility Research and Training Center Infertility Clinic in Izmir, Turkey. RESULTS: Physical health, psychological health, and social relations domain score means did not show significant differences between infertile women and infertile men (p>.05). However, score means for the environment domain were significantly higher (p<.05) for infertile women than for infertile men. Unemployed infertile men had significantly lower score means in the physical health and social relation domains (p<.01). No such significant differences were found for the other quality of life domain scores for infertile women or infertile men (p>.05). CONCLUSION: In the environmental domain, the quality of life of infertile women was greater than that of infertile men. Variables affecting quality of life of infertile individuals were seen to affect women and men in similar ways. Nurses and health care professionals caring for infertile individuals should be aware of the factors that affect quality of life and should plan to meet their care needs accordingly.