Dyadic coping and sexual well‐being in couples seeking assisted reproductive technology

• Published date: 01 December 2023
• Author: Sawsane El Amiri,Natalie O. Rosen,Audrey Brassard,Meghan A. Rossi,Sophie Bergeron,Katherine Péloquin
• Date: 01 December 2023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12874

RESEARCH

Dyadic coping and sexual well-being in couples

seeking assisted reproductive technology

Sawsane El Amiri

1

| Natalie O. Rosen

2

| Audrey Brassard

3

|

Meghan A. Rossi

2

| Sophie Bergeron

1

| Katherine Péloquin

1

1

Department of Psychology, Université de

Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada

2

Department of Psychology & Neuroscience,

Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia,

Canada

3

Department of Psychology, Université de

Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada

Correspondence

Katherine Péloquin, Department of

Psychology, Université de Montréal,

Room D303, Pavillon Marie-Victorin,

90 avenue Vincent d’Indy, Montréal

(QC) H2V 2S9, Canada,

Email: katherine.peloquin@umontreal.ca

Funding information

Canadian Institutes of Health

Research (CIHR).

Abstract

Objective: This study examined whether perceptions of the

partner’s dyadic coping (DC) and of how partners cope

together (common DC) are associated with sexual well-

being in couples seeking assisted reproductive technology.

Background: Although infertility has been associated with

significant sexual concerns, little is known about the rela-

tional processes underlying couples’sexual well-being.

Method: A sample of 232 couples with medical infertility

completed questionnaires assessing DC and sexual well-

being (infertility-related sexual concerns, distress, and

satisfaction).

Results: Individuals who perceived that their partner

engaged in higher negative DC reported lower sexual well-

being (actor effects). Men who perceived that their partner

engaged in higher positive DC reported higher sexual satis-

faction, whereas women reported greater infertility-related

sexual concerns (actor effects). Perceptions of higher com-

mon DC were associated with higher sexual well-being for

men and women (actor effects). Women whose partners

reported perceptions of higher common DC also reported

fewer infertility-related sexual concerns (partner effect).

Analyses adjusted for relationship satisfaction.

Conclusion: These findings highlight the need for future

longitudinal research to gain a better understanding of the

associations between dyadic factors and infertile couples’

sexual well-being.

Author note: We acknowledge the fertility clinics associated with our research project for their contributions, as well as thank all

graduate and undergraduate students who have participated in the data collection for the study. The data underlying this article are

available in the Open Science Framework at https://osf.io/xwg4u/?view_only=517f6bc16fa64472bce650f5c6d20b64

Received: 21 December 2021 Revised: 15 July 2022 Accepted: 3 January 2023

DOI: 10.1111/fare.12874

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits

use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or

adaptations are made.

© 2023 The Authors. Family Relations published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of National Council on Family Relations.

3134 Family Relations. 2023;72:3134–3151.

wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/fare

Implications: These results suggest that the interpersonal

context surrounding infertile couples’sexual well-being

should be routinely discussed and could be facilitated by

promoting greater common DC.

KEYWORDS

assisted reproductive technology, dyadic coping, infertility, sexual

distress, sexual satisfaction, sexual well-being

Infertility affects approximately 12% of couples worldwide (Sun et al., 2019). It is a major life

crisis and a dyadic stressor for couples (Molgora et al., 2019) that has been associated with sig-

nificant concerns and distress related to sexuality, as well as sexual dissatisfaction (Starc

et al., 2019). Although studies have begun to examine the impact of infertility on intimate rela-

tionships, questions remain concerning sexual experiences and the relational processes of infer-

tile couples seeking assisted reproduction technology (ART), which may play a role in

individuals’own and their partner’s sexual well-being.

Research on sexuality in the context of infertility has almost exclusively focused on individual

experiences, mainly the women’s experience. The neglect of the dyadic context is striking given

that most sexual expression is interpersonal and that partners are inherently interdependent in cul-

tivating a mutually satisfying sexual relationship (Rosen & Bergeron, 2019). Infertility has an

impact on the couple as a whole (de Faria et al., 2012), taking into consideration both partners’

perspectives and the dyadic context of couples’sexual experiences—especially how they cop e

together with infertility—is key to the development of effective sexual and reproductive health

interventions. To address these limitations, this study aimed to examine the link between dyadic

coping, that is, how couples cope with a shared stressor (Bodenmann, 1997), and the infertility-

related sexual concerns, sexual distress, and sexual satisfaction of both members of couples

seeking ART.

SEXUAL WELL-BEING OF COUPLES SEEKING ART

Couples who require ART may do so due to physiological causes (e.g., medical infertility) or

because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity (e.g., same-sex and/or gender cou-

ples). Infertility and undergoing ART can lead to changes in couples’sexual well-being.

Research suggests that couples seeking treatment due to physiological causes may be at a high

risk of experiencing issues related to sexuality (Starc et al., 2019). Indeed, these couples often

have a long history of failed attempts at conceiving through regular sexual intercourse, and

when they undergo fertility treatments, they often face stressful demands related to sexual activ-

ities (e.g., scheduled timing, increased frequency) to increase their chances of conception.

Sexuality may thus translate into a desire to conceive, rather than a pleasure-oriented

motivation, making spontaneous sex more difficult to maintain (Marci et al., 2012; Starc

et al., 2019). As a result, women and men experiencing infertility often report negative feelings

toward sexual activity (Starc et al., 2019). Side effects of hormone medication (e.g., mood

swings) can also lead to alterations in women’s sexual experiences (Marci et al., 2012). Treat-

ment procedures, including the necessity to produce semen samples on demand, can affect

men’s sexuality as well, by arousing a sense of anxiety and affecting their masculinity (Ohl

et al., 2009). As a result, individuals with infertility often report a reduction in the enjoyment

and frequency of sexual activity, and a deflated level of sexual self-esteem (Tao et al., 2011).

To date, however, research on the sexuality of infertile couples seeking ART has been

mostly descriptive and focused on medical variables, rather than nonmedical factors that may

DYADIC COPING AND SEXUALITY IN COUPLES SEEKING ART 3135