Contextual shifts in Bulgarian women's identity in the face of infertility

Abstract

The article discusses the experiences of women facing infertility and infertility treatment in Bulgaria with a focus on identity construction. A theoretical framework invoking an understanding of identity as a social and contextual phenomenon, contingent upon local interpersonal relations and cultural meanings, informs our study. We use semi-structured interviews, which are analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Using this method, we have identified the following overarching themes: Identity as Incomplete, Absent or Invisible; Identity as Present but Separate; Identity Shifts Through Dis/Embodiment; Identity as Nurtured and Nurturing. The study delineates the contextual identity shifts in the social and medical settings and the extent to which the women we interviewed experienced themselves as separate, autonomous and agentic. We discuss some of the possible interpretations of these findings, invoking the meanings and metaphors of the individual and the relational available in Bulgarian culture and societal values.

Keywords:

• Infertility
• experience
• identity
• qualitative
• Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
• Bulgaria

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by a grant from the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, of which we are greatly appreciative. We would also like to acknowledge and express our gratitude to the women who responded to our invitations to take part in the research and shared their stories of emotion and determination with us.

Notes

¹ Infertility is controversial since it is not necessarily tied to somatic symptoms or even to any medical diagnosis, and is certainly not visible on the body. Some advocates see the identification of infertility as an illness as pathologizing a situation, which they believe should be normalized. On the other hand, others, including most patient organizations, prefer to define infertility as an illness in order to acknowledge the suffering of infertility patients, and to advocate for medical research, development of technologies and insurance coverage of treatment.

² At the time of this writing, three of the families who reported primary infertility during the interview had adopted children.