Qualitative Study on Gender, Sexuality, and Marital Relationship in Narratives of Couples who Experienced Infertile Treatment

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The purpose of this qualitative narrative study was to investigate the gender consciousness, sexuality and the relationship in couples who experienced infertility treatment. A purposive sample of 12 infertile women and 3 couples participated in the study.Participant responses to interviews were categorized by examining the interview transcript and identifying significant statements and meanings. Themes and concepts which emerged from the statements were then ascertained and cross-case comparisons were made in order to confirm or to reconsider these themes.From the result of analysis, and integration of data, 10 main themes eventually from experiences of the women who became pregnant through infertility treatment and bore children were identified. Furthermore, four key concepts emerged from the data : desiring a child, the meaning and the purpose of sexual intercourse, the control role given to a women by infertility treatment, and the risk to the female body caused by infertility treatment.These four concepts drew the model illustrating the relation of husbands and wives who have received infertility treatment.The findings from this study provided a framework for increased awareness of infertility treatment and for the essential components of supportive counseling, regardless of the outcome of the infertility experience.