The Harris Interactive national survey, commissioned by Organon USA Inc., a pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving women's healthcare and a leader in the development of innovative fertility treatment, also reported that some of the most common emotions women experience due to infertility include depression (77%), anger (72%) and anxiety (56%). Infertility affects about six million -- or one in six -- couples, according to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).
"The joy of trying to have a baby normally brings couples closer together, but this survey underscores how the pressures women endure can drive couples apart just at the time when their need for love and mutual support is at a critical high," says Judy Kuriansky, Ph.D., noted clinical psychologist. "To prevent break-ups and cope with personal stress, women should continue to make time for pleasure with their partner, and practice techniques like thought stopping when overwhelmed with negative feelings."
Top Survey Relationship Stressors
At a time when other couples look forward to frequent intercourse to
achieve pregnancy, 69 percent of women surveyed find that scheduled sex is
somewhat to very burdensome, where intercourse becomes a chore and results in
loss of intimacy. Dr. Judy recommends that couples periodically take a break
from scheduled intercourse and have a spontaneous romantic rendezvous for the
sole purpose of being intimate, perhaps in a romantic location other than the
bedroom.
The results also reveal that women struggling to get pregnant do not have as much support from their spouse/partner as they would like. Forty percent of respondents said someone other than their husband/partner was their greatest source of support, and more than one quarter (26 percent) felt their husband/partner could have been more supportive. Nearly 3 in 10 women (28 percent) did not feel they and their husband/partner shared the same level of commitment and dedication to getting pregnant.
Other key findings from the survey include:
• 71 percent of infertile women find it burdensome that friends and family frequently ask when they are planning to have children
• Nearly four in ten respondents (37 percent) have been told by a doctor that they have depression
• 52 percent of respondents report that their insurance covers only some or none of the cost of infertility treatments, leading to financial pressures
• 40 percent of women surveyed were willing to make a career sacrifice such as putting their career on hold (30%) or declining a promotion that required travel (25%); just eight percent would encourage their husband/partner to change jobs for a more flexible schedule
Easing the Fertility Journey
Seventy-eight percent of women surveyed who are dealing with infertility
also work full or part-time, which makes undergoing fertility treatment even
more overwhelming, due to frequent doctor visits and complicated medication
regimens.
Many fertility medicines used for ovulation induction alone, or as part of IVF, require the patient to be responsible for accurately mixing solutions, drawing up the correct dose in a syringe and eliminating air bubbles. The inconvenience and time commitment for this process add to the women's stress and can easily compromise success if any steps are not followed correctly.
"Women having difficulty ovulating or undergoing IVF should ask their physician about recent advances in fertility that are more accurately administered and conveniently integrated into their busy lives," says Steven Spandorfer, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist at the Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.
Organon USA Inc. develops and markets products to treat infertility. To learn more about Organon USA Inc. and its products, please go to http://www.follistim.com.
FertilityJourney.com Educational Web Site Whatever stage a woman is in during her quest to get pregnant, http://www.fertilityjourney.com is a comprehensive online resource that offers guidance to help navigate the complicated fertility process and learn what to expect along the way. Information available includes testing and diagnosis, medical treatment coverage, financial planning, therapeutic options and how to find a clinic. Visitors to the site can also register to receive a free monthly e-newsletter and request brochures about the latest medical developments.