Responding to Infertility: Lessons from a Growing Body of Research and Suggested Guidelines for Practice

• Author: Arthur L. Greil,Julia McQuillan,Karina M. Shreffler
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12281
• Published date: 01 October 2017
• Date: 01 October 2017

K M. S Oklahoma State University

A L. G Alfred University

J MQ University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Responding to Infertility: Lessons from a Growing

Body of Research and Suggested Guidelines for

Practice

Infertility is a common yet often misunderstood

experience. Infertility is an important topic

for family scientists because of its effects on

families, its relevance to research in related

areas such as fertility trends and reproductive

health, and its implications for practitioners

who work with individuals and couples expe-

riencing infertility. In this review, we focus

on common misperceptions in knowledge and

treatment of infertility and highlight insights

from recent research that includes men, cou-

ples, and people with infertility who are not in

treatment. The meaning of parenthood, child-

lessness, awareness of a fertility problem, and

access to resources are particularly relevant for

treatment seeking and psychosocial outcomes.

On the basis of insights from family science

research, we provide specic guidelines for

infertility practice within broader social con-

texts such as trends in health care, education,

employment, and relationships. Guidelines are

presented across three areas of application:

infertility education for individuals, families,

Department of Human Development and Family Science,

Oklahoma State University, 700 N. Greenwood Avenue,

Tulsa, OK 74106 (karina.shrefer@okstate.edu).

Key Words: Assisted reproductivetechnology, health dispar-

ities, identity, infertility,life course, parenthood.

and practitioners; steps to support the emo-

tional well-being of those affected by infertility;

and understanding of treatment approaches and

their implications for individuals and couples.

Parenthood is generally a desired and antici-

pated role for most individuals (Becker, 2000;

Matthews & Martin-Matthews, 1986; Tichenor,

McQuillan, Greil, Contreras, & Shrefer, 2011).

Although an increasing proportion of Americans

do not have children, most still expect to have

children (Thornton & Young-DeMarco, 2001)

and assume they can become parents when they

are ready. Once ready, however, many couples

may nd that life–course plans and expecta-

tions for parenthood are disrupted by infertility

(Loftus & Andriot, 2012). For some women and

couples, infertility can result in emotional dis-

tress, identity challenges, a sense of loss of con-

trol, feelings of stigmatization and isolation, and

strain in relationships (for a review, see Greil,

Slauson-Blevins, & McQuillan, 2010). There is

much variation in the experiences and outcomes

of infertility; the meanings and consequences of

infertility are shaped by the context and accu-

mulation of reproductive experiences, including

fertility histories, attitudes, and intentions.

The diversity of infertility experiences has

direct implications for best practices among

644 Family Relations 66 (October 2017): 644–658

DOI:10.1111/fare.12281