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A Multicase Study Exploring Women’s Narratives of Infertility: Implications for Counselors
Open accessAbstract
Infertility affects 6.7 million women in the United States (Chandra, Copen, & Stephen, 2013). Women’s experiences with infertility are not only influenced by biological health factors, but also by social, cultural, and personal variables. Given the prevalence and complexity of infertility, additional research is needed to further examine the nuances of women’s experiences. The purpose of this multicase study, as informed by four individual cases, was to explore how women construct their infertility narratives. Review of reflective journals found five common elements: (1) Emotional Rollercoaster, (2) Mind-Body (Dis)Connection, (3) Secret Identity, (4) Supportive vs. Constrained Communication Patterns, and (5) Fatalistic- vs. Agency-Oriented Coping. Increasing our understanding of the whole experience of infertility, beyond the biological diagnosis, is essential to decreasing stigma and increasing the quality of healthcare services available for women.
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“With regard to the second theme, mood disturbance, other researchers have also reported on the ‘emotional rollercoaster’ of infertility, as well as the loss of control that women frequently experience.6 22 27 28”
From Infertility-related distress and clinical targets for psychotherapy: A qualitative study (2021) · cites this paper as [6]
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“The third theme—threat to self-esteem, identity and purpose—is somewhat similar to previous reports that women’s view of themselves and their future identities are challenged by infertility, leading to feelings of role loss or role failure and the development of a negative self-perception.6 26 27”
From Infertility-related distress and clinical targets for psychotherapy: A qualitative study (2021) · cites this paper as [6]
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References 25 · Cited by 5
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Metadata
- Authors
- Born, S., Carotta, C., & Ramsay-Seaner, K.
- Affiliations
- South Dakota State University (US)
- South Dakota State University
- Venue
- The Qualitative Report
- Publisher
- Nova Southeastern University
- Published
- 2018-12-10
- ISSN
- 1052-0147 (ISSN-L)
- 2160-3715
- OpenAlex
- W2905381117
- Cited by
- 5
- References
- 25
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2019: 1
- FWCI
- 0.27
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-sa
- Locations
- The Qualitative Report (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
- NSUWorks (Nova Southeastern University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
- Open PRAIRIE (South Dakota State University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Reproductive Health and Technologies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Reproductive Health and Contraception
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Keywords
- infertility, women's experiences, emotional experience, mind-body problem, secret identity, communication patterns, coping, fatalism, agency, stigma, infertility counseling, quality of care
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- Born, S., Carotta, C., & Ramsay-Seaner, K. (2018). A Multicase Study Exploring Women’s Narratives of Infertility: Implications for Counselors. The Qualitative Report. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2018.3510
