Infertility Stress in Couples Undergoing Intrauterine Insemination and In Vitro Fertilization Treatments

AIM: The main aim of the study was to assess the stress levels of husbands and wives undergoing intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments, and also to observe whether the stress levels differed between the methods of treatments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This research focused on 120 infertile couples who underwent IUI and In Vitro Fertilization-Intra Sperm Cytoplasmic sperm Injection (IVF-ICSI) at an infertility clinic from April 2014 to November 2014. Sixty couples who underwent each method of treatment were selected using purposive sampling technique. Fertility Problem Inventory (Newton et al., 1999) was used to collect the data after obtaining their consent. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Statistical analysis was performed at descriptive (mean, standard deviation, and Kolmogorov test) and inferential (analysis of variance, ANOVA) levels. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The prevalence of global stress was very high in couples undergoing IUI and IVF treatments, as found by descriptive analysis [mean = 149.95, standard deviation (SD) = 29.76]. Considering the various subscales, stress related to the need for parenthood was found to be high (mean = 45.95, SD = 9.53). Infertility stress (global) was higher among wives when compared to their husbands (f = 9.408; P = 0.002), and the same was noted on the domains of need for parenthood (f = 10.145; P = 0.002), social concern (f = 11.107; P = 0.001), and sexual concern (f = 4.013; P = 0.046). No difference in the levels of global stress was observed when both the modes of treatments were compared (f = 0.180, P = 0.672). For couples, infertility stress showed no significant difference irrespective of whether they underwent IUI or IVF.