Infertility and perceived stress: the role of identity concern in treatment-seeking men and women

Abstract

This cross-sectional study examined the association between identity concerns and perceived stress in 522 diverse men (n = 236) and women (n = 286), seeking to become parents through fertility treatment in Canada. Participants completed an online survey assessing demographic and fertility characteristics, identity concerns, and perceived stress. Path analysis showed that gender identity concern (GIC) was a unique determinant of perceived stress (Standardised Beta, β_men = 0.381, 95% CI = [0.186–0.565], β_women = 0.544, CI = [0.376–0.716]), with different determinants of GIC and stress for men (i.e. religion (β = 0.579, 95% CI [0.059, 1.097])) and women (i.e. income (β = −0.370, 95% CI = [−0.584, −0.162]), parenthood status (β = −0.603, 95% CI = [−1.074, −0.118]), female factor infertility (β = 0.711, 95% CI = [0.237–1.117])). The findings highlight the importance of gender for understanding fertility patient experiences, and how concerns surrounding gender identity may differentially influence men’s and women’s perceived stress when trying to create a family through assisted reproductive technology.

Keywords:

• Infertility
• identity
• quantitative
• gender; stress; assisted reproductive technology

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank members of the CIHR Infertility Research Team for assistance with recruitment and data collection, especially Stephanie Robins for constructing study materials. We also wish to thank Dr. Carl Falk for his useful suggestions regarding data analysis, interpretation, and reporting. Lastly, we appreciate the assistance of Timothy J. Thurman for sharing his expertise with the statistical programme R.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no interests to declare.

Additional information

Funding

Funding for this research comes from a Canadian Institute of Health Research Grant [TEI #13-18296] to Dr. Zelkowitz and a Fonds de recherche du Québec santé doctoral training award to Paul Grunberg.