Psychological sequelae of infertility treatment: the role of gender and sex-role identification

Abstract

Infertility has traditionally been viewed as a female problem and women have been expected to suffer greater psychological distress due to infertility. This paper investigates the nature of gender differences and sex-role identification in the psychological sequelae associated with infertility treatment. The expectation that infertile women experience higher distress levels than men was not supported by these data. No gender differences were observed in either the level of emotional strain, marital adjustment, or sexual satisfaction for the 104 couples studied. However, gender differences were apparent in factors associated with psychological distress, suggesting that while the level of strain might be comparable, the experience of infertility is different for men and women. Sex-role identification was found to have a greater relationship to the indices of distress than gender. Masculinity was associated with lower emotional strain and greater marital satisfaction for both genders and enhanced sexual satisfaction for men. Femininity was related to enhanced marital and sexual satisfaction for both genders. Gender differences and sex-role identification are discussed in the context of the unique experience of infertility.