Background: Infertility is defined as the situation in which couples cannot conceive naturally after 12 months of regular sexual intercourse without using contraceptives. WHO classifies infertility to be a health problem that affects millions of people around the world. According to the latest data, 48 million couples and 186 million people have infertility globally.
Aim: The purpose of this review is to synthesize studies on marital relationship couples with infertility
Method: Data were searched published between 2010-2021 in English. The following databases were searched: SCOPUS and PubMed. Additionally, Google Scholar was searched using backward and forward chaining techniques. Search terms included these keywords: Infertile couples OR infertile spouse, Marital Relationship, Sexual Satisfaction.
Results: Some of the studies show that infertile couples have concerns in their relationships due to infertility-related reasons. Also, women think that their husbands do not understand how their fertility problems affect them. On the other hand, it has been observed that men have more negative emotions in terms of sexuality. Evidence shows that infertility affects relationships significantly in many studies. Some studies found that infertility has a negative effect on sexual and marital satisfaction. However, a few participants in one study stated that their marital relationship did not change due to infertility. Evidence demonstrates that women feel guilty because they cannot bear children against their husbands and so they are considering divorce. Also, couples emphasized the importance of having a child for marital relationships. Childlessness has been found to have an effect on marital adjustment.
Conclusion: The number of articles was very limited. For this reason, conducting studies involving participants from different countries and cultures will be beneficial in terms of understanding the existing problems and contributing to the thinking of solutions. Furthermore, it may be useful for healthcare professionals especially nurses and midwives to provide information and services on marital satisfaction for infertile couples. Support programs should be offered to infertile couples for the difficulties they experience.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Infertility, Marital relationship, Nursing
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