Psychological Aspects of Infertility and Infertility Investigations

Abstract

Whilst the majority of women become mothers, a substantial minority remain childless. Some women chose not to have children. For others childlessness is function of circumstances: they are never in a situation in which they feel they can become mothers. Other women want to become mothers but are childless because they fail to conceive or are unable to carry a pregnancy through to term. For these women infertility results in childlessness, but this is not necessarily the case. Many women who have fertility problems do eventually conceive and give birth, some as a result of medical treatment. For such women infertility is a temporary condition. Women who conceive easily and hence do not think of themselves as infertile may be childless because they cannot maintain a pregnancy (Oakley et al., 1990). Women who have children already may also experience infertility. Women who conceived a first child easily may have difficulties conceiving a second child. They may, therefore, have fewer children or their children may be more widely spaced than they wanted. In addition, some childless women become mothers, for example, as adoptive parents and others bring up their partner’s children.