Date of Award

2025

First Advisor

Anne O'Dwyer

Second Advisor

Amy Smith

Abstract

Approximately 15% of couples of reproductive age suffer from some form of infertility and this rate is pretty consistent worldwide. Infertility, as considered in the context of reproductive health, is a condition that can have significant emotional and psychological effects and its treatments often also come with both medical and psychological risks and challenges. This thesis begins with a discussion of the complex and often-changing definition of infertility. I then provide a detailed review of the various potential biological causes of infertility as well as the wide range of medical treatment options. The fourth chapter discusses some of the major psychological perspectives on infertility. The current research study analyzed women’s self-reports about their experiences with infertility in two different contexts: the United States and Ghana. Using two different methodologies—content analysis of 13 publicly-available blog posts from a U.S. website—and interview survey responses from 2 Ghanaian women—six themes were identified in relation to infertility in heterosexual women in both samples: (1) Medicalization and Loss of Control; (2) Marital/Relationship Strain; (3) Isolation and Stigma; (4) Identity/Womanhood and/or Cultural/Society Pressures; (5) Emotional Distress and Internalization of Deficit; and finally (6) Coping Strategies and Resilience. The need for more research and more efforts to address both the medical and psychological (emotional, relational, and social) implications of infertility worldwide is discussed.

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