Some Facts

A study by Freemen, Boxer, Rickels, Turekc, and Mastroianni revealed that 49% of women and 15% of men described infertility as the most upsetting event of their lives.

Guerra, Llobern, Veiga, and Barri (1998) found that about 60% of infertility patients suffered from an Adjustment Disorder.

According to Baram, Touretelot, Muechler, and Huang (1988), 13% of women had suicidal ideation following a failed IVF attempt.

Women had markedly higher anxiety and depression scores than other women and their stress treatment positively correlated with the type and cost of treatment. The more complicated and expensive, the more anxiety these women reported. Research results suggest that couples entering an IVF-treatment program are, in general, psychologically well adjusted. Concerning reactions during the treatment, both women and men experience waiting for the outcome of the IVF-treatment and an unsuccessful IVF, as most stressful. Common reactions during IVF are anxiety and depression, while after an unsuccessful IVF, feelings of sadness, depression and anger prevail. After a successful IVF-treatment, IVF-parents experience more stress during pregnancy than 'normal fertile' parents. Mothers with children conceived by IVF express a higher quality of parent-child relationship than mothers with a naturally conceived child.A study that included 120 subjects with infertility, 80 fertile women, and 90 women with anorexia nervosa, concluded that infertile women without eating disorders share some of same psychological characteristics as women with severe eating disorders, such as feelings of inadequacy and insecurity.

A study by Organon found:
the majority of women surveyed (61 percent) report making sacrifices in order to become pregnant. These include sacrificing a carefree relationship with their husband (70%), emotional stability (69%), a spontaneous sex life (64%), financial stability (56%) and personal freedom (52%).

some of the most common emotions women experience due to infertility include depression (77%), anger (72%) and anxiety (56%).

69 percent of women surveyed find that scheduled sex is somewhat to very burdensome, where intercourse becomes a chore and results in loss of intimacy.

Forty percent of respondents said someone other than their husband/partner was their greatest source of support, and more than one quarter (26 percent) felt their husband/partner could have been more supportive. Nearly 3 in 10 women (28 percent) did not feel they and their husband/partner shared the same level of commitment and dedication to getting pregnant.
71 percent of infertile women find it burdensome that friends and family frequently ask when they are planning to have children.

52 percent of respondents report that their insurance covers only some or none of the cost of infertility treatments, leading to financial pressures.

40 percent of women surveyed were willing to make a career sacrifice such as putting their career on hold (30%) or declining a promotion that required travel (25%); just eight percent would encourage their husband/partner to change jobs for a more flexible schedule.