Infertile couples’ needs after unsuccessful fertility treatment: A qualitative study

Background: Infertility is a major medical issue. Investigations and treatment are the beginning of a complex, time-consuming and stressful process for couples that may well fail.Objective: The present study explored the needs of infertile couples following treatment failure with Assisted Reproductive Technologies.Materials and Methods: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted in an Iranian infertility center, in the Northeast of the country between April 2016 and June 2017. Researchers recruited 29 individuals including 9 couples, 9 women and two men with primary infertility through purposive sampling. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed iteratively using conventional content analysis with MAXQDA software.Results: The main concepts obtained from the data were classified into four main categories along with their subcategories, and included the need for psychological support, the need for more useful information, the need for social support and the need to access to better services.Conclusion: The findings show that following treatment failure, these infertile patients’ expressed needs and preferences were not met. Identifying and meeting their needs may help infertile couples to deal with IVF failure and to reach a decision about future treatment.

کلیدواژه ها:

Infertility ، Fertility treatment ، Assisted reproductive technology ، Need ، Qualitative study