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Is it Stress Related?
In earlier years, this question has taken an important
place ,the focus was on whether psychological stress
or psychopathology prevented conception, particularly
for women. With advances in the technological
assessment of fertility's organic causes, the number
of couples with unexplained infertility has decreased,
resulting in less emphasis on mysterious psychological
causes of infertility.
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Stress could theoretically interfere with pregnancy
through direct hormonal effects, or indirectly by
impairing a couple's capacity to have effective sexual
intercourse or to follow the complex instructions and
sexual prescriptions involved in medical treatment.
However, the major focus of mental health care for
infertile couples is to help them cope with the
emotional impact of infertility treatment.
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THE" NORMAL" STRESS OF INFERTILITY TREATMENT
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Why is
psychological distress a normal state while going
through infertility treatment?
A diagnosis of infertility is always stressful. Some
men or women might already know or suspect that they
are infertile; for example, if they have undergone
cancer chemotherapy in the past or have had
endometriosis. For others, the failure to conceive a
child is very much a surprise. Many couples do not
realize that in about 40 percent of infertile couples,
a male factor contributes to the problem.
The following factors can
emotionally influence couples who have been diagnosed
as infertile and/or who might be considering
infertility treatment:
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Uncertainty about the success of fertility treatment
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Grief associated with infertility diagnosis
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Feeling of losing control |
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Loss of self-esteem |
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Financial strain |
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Marital stress |
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Sexual pressure |
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Family pressure
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