Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Racial and Ethnic Differences in the Utilization of Prayer and Clergy Counseling by Infertile US Women Desiring Pregnancy

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Religion and Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Religion can have a significant influence on the experience of infertility. However, it is unclear how many US women turn to religion when facing infertility. Here, we examine the utilization of prayer and clergy counsel among a nationally representative sample of 1062 infertile US women. Prayer was used by 74.8% of the participants, and clergy counsel was the most common formal support system utilized. Both prayer and clergy counsel were significantly more common among black and Hispanic women. Healthcare providers should acknowledge the spiritual needs of their infertile patients and ally with clergy when possible to provide maximally effective care.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Balboni, T. A., Vanderwerker, L. C., Block, S. D., Paulk, M. E., Lathan, C. S., Peteet, J. R., et al. (2007). Religiousness and spiritual support among advanced cancer patients and associations with end-of-life treatment preferences and quality of life. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 25, 555–560. https://doi.org/10.1200/Jco.2006.07.9046.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Birkhauser, M. (2013). Ethical issues in human reproduction: Protestant perspectives in the light of European Protestant and Reformed Churches. Gynecological Endocrinology, 29, 955–959. https://doi.org/10.3109/09513590.2013.825716.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Boivin, J., Scanlan, L. C., & Walker, S. M. (1999). Why are infertile patients not using psychosocial counselling? Human Reproduction, 14, 1384–1391. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/14.5.1384.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chandra, A., Copen, C. E., & Stephen, E. H. (2013). Infertility and impaired fecundity in the United States, 1982–2010: Data from the National Survey of Family Growth. National Health Statistics Report, 67, 1–18, 1 p following 19.

  • Chandra, A., Copen, C. E., & Stephen, E. H. (2014). Infertility service use in the United States: Data from the National Survey of Family Growth, 1982–2010. National Health Statistics Report, 73, 1–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chandra, A., Martinez, G. M., Mosher, W. D., Abma, J. C., & Jones, J. (2005). Fertility, family planning, and reproductive health of U.S. women: data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth. Vital and Health Statistics. Series 23: Data from the National Survey of Family Growth, 25, 1–160.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins, S. C., & Chan, E. (2017). Sociocultural determinants of US women’s ethical views on various fertility treatments. Reproductive Biomedicine Online. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbmo.2017.08.015.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Connor, J., Sauer, C., & Doll, K. (2012). Assisted reproductive technologies and world religions: Implications for couples therapy. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 23, 83–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daaleman, T. P., & Frey, B. (1998). Prevalence and patterns of physician referral to clergy and pastoral care providers. Archives of Family Medicine, 7, 548–553. https://doi.org/10.1001/archfami.7.6.548.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Devor, N. G. (1994). Pastoral care for infertile couples. Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling, 48, 355–360.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Domar, A. D., Penzias, A., Dusek, J. A., Magna, A., Merarim, D., Nielsen, B., et al. (2005). The stress and distress of infertility: does religion help women cope? Sexuality, Reproduction and Menopause, 3, 45–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feinberg, E. C., Larsen, F. W., Wah, R. M., Alvero, R. J., & Armstrong, A. Y. (2007). Economics may not explain Hispanic underutilization of assisted reproductive technology services. Fertility and Sterility, 88, 1439–1441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.01.031.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Feske, M. C. (2012). Rachel’s lament: The impact of infertility and pregnancy loss upon the religious faith of ordinary Christians. Journal of Pastoral Theology, 22, 3–1–3–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greil, A., McQuillan, J., Benjamins, M., Johnson, D. R., Johnson, K. M., & Heinz, C. R. (2010). Specifying the effects of religion on medical helpseeking: the case of infertility. Social Science and Medicine, 71, 734–742. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.04.033.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Greil, A. L., McQuillan, J., & Sanchez, D. (2016). Does fertility-specific distress vary by race/ethnicity among a probability sample of women in the United States? Journal of Health Psychology, 21, 183–192. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105314524970.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Grinstein-Cohen, O., Katz, A., & Sarid, O. (2017). Religiosity: Its impact on coping styles among women undergoing fertility treatment. Journal of Religion and Health, 56, 1032–1041. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-016-0344-2.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, D. R., McQuillan, J., Jacob, M., Greil, A., Lacy, N., Scheuble, L. K., & Young, R. (2009). National Survey of Fertility Barriers: Methodology Report for Wave 1. National Survey of Fertility Barriers, Working Papers Series Paper 1, University of Nebraska.

  • Koenig, H. G. (2009). Research on religion, spirituality, and mental health: A review. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry-Revue Canadienne De Psychiatrie, 54, 283–291.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lanzone, A. (2013). Ethical issues in human reproduction: Catholic perspectives. Gynecological Endocrinology, 29, 953–954. https://doi.org/10.3109/09513590.2013.825717.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Latifnejad Roudsari, R., & Allan, H. T. (2011). Women’s experiences and preferences in relation to infertility counselling: A multifaith dialogue. International Journal of Fertility and Sterility, 5, 158–167.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Latifnejad Roudsari, R., Allan, H. T., & Smith, P. A. (2014). Iranian and English women’s use of religion and spirituality as resources for coping with infertility. Human Fertility (Camb), 17, 114–123. https://doi.org/10.3109/14647273.2014.909610.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, R. E., Rasinski, K. A., Yoon, J. D., & Curlin, F. A. (2010). Obstetrician-gynecologists’ beliefs about assisted reproductive technologies. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 116, 127–135.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacLean, C. D., Susi, B., Phifer, N., Schultz, L., Bynum, D., Franco, M., et al. (2003). Patient preference for physician discussion and practice of spirituality. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 18, 38–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Missmer, S. A., Seifer, D. B., & Jain, T. (2011). Cultural factors contributing to health care disparities among patients with infertility in Midwestern United States. Fertility and Sterility, 95, 1943–1949. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2011.02.039.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Paul, M. S., Berger, R., Berlow, N., Rovner-Ferguson, H., Figlerski, L., Gardner, S., et al. (2010). Posttraumatic growth and social support in individuals with infertility. Human Reproduction, 25, 133–141. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dep367.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Petersen, G. L., Blenstrup, L. T., Peterson, B. D., Knudsen, L. B., & Schmidt, L. (2015). Impact of childlessness on life and attitudes towards continuation of medically assisted reproduction and/or adoption. Human Fertilility (Camb), 18, 121–127. https://doi.org/10.3109/14647273.2015.1006691.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rich, C. W., & Domar, A. D. (2016). Addressing the emotional barriers to access to reproductive care. Fertility and Sterility, 105, 1124–1127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.02.017.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schenker, J. G. (2005). Assisted reproductive practice: religious perspectives. Reproductive Biomedicine Online, 10, 310–319.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schenker, J. G. (2013). Human reproduction: Jewish perspectives. Gynecological Endocrinology, 29, 945–948. https://doi.org/10.3109/09513590.2013.825715.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Serour, G. I. (2013). Ethical issues in human reproduction: Islamic perspectives. Gynecological Endocrinology, 29, 949–952. https://doi.org/10.3109/09513590.2013.825714.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sewpaul, V. (1999). Culture, religion and infertility: a South African perspective. British Journal of Social Work, 29, 741–754.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheppe, A. H., Nicholson, R. F., Rasinski, K. A., Yoon, J. D., & Curlin, F. A. (2013). Providing guidance to patients: Physicians’ views about the relative responsibilities of doctors and religious communities. Southern Medical Journal, 106, 399–406. https://doi.org/10.1097/SMJ.0b013e31829ba64f.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Silvestri, G. A., Knittig, S., Zoller, J., & Nietert, P. J. (2003). Importance of faith on medical decisions regarding cancer care. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 21, 1379–1382. https://doi.org/10.1200/Jco.2003.08.036.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sloan, R. P., Bagiella, E., Van de Creek, L., Hover, M., Casalone, C., Hirsch, T. J., et al. (2000). Should physicians prescribe religious activities? New England Journal of Medicine, 342, 1913–1916. https://doi.org/10.1056/Nejm200006223422513.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, G., Cooperman, A., Mohamed, B., Martinez, J., Alper, B., Sciupac, E., et al. (2015). America’s changing religious landscape. Washington, DC: Pew Research Center.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Ess, G. M. (2012). Infertility and the Bible: How women use their personal faith Scripture and the Church when struggling with infertility. Dissertation, Emory University, Atlanta.

  • Voss, K. E. (2012). An ethics survey of religious beliefs and reproductive counseling practices of Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Jewish clergy. Dissertation, Saint Louis University, St Louis.

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Lydia Dugdale, M.D., for valuable editing contributions.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Stephen C. Collins and Soorin Kim contributed equally to this work and are co-first authors.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, 150 Sargent Drive, Second Floor, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA

    Stephen C. Collins & Soorin Kim

  2. Department of Sociology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

    Esther Chan

Authors
  1. Stephen C. Collins
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Soorin Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Esther Chan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stephen C. Collins.

Ethics declarations

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors, but was supported by the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility within the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences of the Yale School of Medicine.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 17 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Collins, S.C., Kim, S. & Chan, E. Racial and Ethnic Differences in the Utilization of Prayer and Clergy Counseling by Infertile US Women Desiring Pregnancy. J Relig Health 57, 2230–2240 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-017-0536-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-017-0536-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation