Is the Stigma Experienced by Infertile Women Related to Being Affected by Infertility and the Level of Self-Efficacy?

Year 2024, Volume: 14 Issue: 4, 987 - 993, 29.12.2024

Didem Kaya , Rabia Atilla , Ahmet Emin Mutlu

https://doi.org/10.33808/clinexphealthsci.1374680

Abstract

Objective: This study was conducted to determine the relationship between the stigma experienced by infertile women, and the level of infertility distress and self-efficacy with the affecting factors.
Methods: This descriptive study carried out 352 infertile women diagnosed with primary infertility. Data were collected with the Personal Information Form, the Infertility Distress Scale (IDS), the Infertility Stigma Scale (ISS), and the Infertility Self-Efficacy Scale–Short Form (TISE-SF).
Results: The total IDS, ISS, and TISE-SF mean scores of the women included in the study were found to be 43.62±12.00, 64.24±27.40 and 19.70±5.69, respectively. While there was a high positive correlation between total IDS and ISS mean scores, there was a moderate negative correlation between total TISE-S, IDS, and ISS mean scores (p<.001). Variables such as women's income and working status, the infertility treatment process and its number, and social support factors affected infertility distress, stigma, and self-efficacy (p<.05).
Conclusion: It was concluded that infertility stigma and distress decreased with the increase in self-efficacy perception in primary infertile women, and distress increased with the increase in the level of stigma.

Keywords

Infertility, stigma, affect, self-efficacy

Ethical Statement

This study was approved by Ethics Committee of Nuh Naci Yazgan University (23.06.2022, 2022/9187)

Supporting Institution

None

Thanks

Thank you to all the participants who participated in this research.

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