A sociological analysis on life experiences of infertile women being treated through modern methods in a pro-natalism environment

Subject Areas : Sociological Studies of Youth

Narges Pirnia ¹ , Shirin Ahmadnia ² , Mohammad Jalal Abbasi-Shavazi ³

1 - Employee of welfare organization
2 - Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran
3 - professor of the Department of Demography and Chair of the Division of Population Research at the University of Tehran

Received: 2023-08-28 Accepted : 2023-10-17 Published : 2023-05-01

Keywords: Infertility, Reconsideration, Life Experience, Artificial fertilization, biological maternity,

Abstract :

In average, 10-15 % of Iranian couples are infertile. Considering the importance given to women's fertility in the Iranian culture and religion, as well as family endurance through biological fertility, it is usually women who should carry the burden of infertility and its consecutive issues. The upcomings and consequences of infertility make Iranian women to face numerous problems.Various psychoanalytic, sociological and feministic points of view have been taken throughout the research given the fact that the issue is of a great importance. Due to the delicacy of the issue, the unfavorable condition of infertile women and in order to better understand their situation, a qualitative introspective method has been employed. The main purpose of the current study is to review treatment experiences and to analyze the side-effects of new methods of laboratory fertilization (ART) on infertile women being under treatment. The findings of the research show that most of the infertile women explicitly described fertility as their ultimate fate as well as their most important role and duty after marriage in order to strengthen the family basis and to protect their family life. Hence, they resort to laboratory fertilization in order to get rid of the isolation and social ostracism stemming out of their inability of fertilization. They ultimately have to face the side-effects and consequences of diverse treatment methods, including IVF and IUI.