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Stigma: The hidden burden of infertility

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  • Whiteford, Linda M.
  • Gonzalez, Lois

Abstract

Infertility is experienced by 5 million U.S. couples, some of whom perceive it a stigmatizing condition. Recent technological innovations have created a multitude of medical interventions for those infertile individuals who can financially afford them. For some infertile women, those interventions also transform infertility from a private pain to a public, prolonged crisis. Our research focuses on 25 U.S. women who sought medical treatment for infertility and describes their perception of the stigma associated with infertility. We apply a critical, feminist perspective to our analysis of the women's lived experiences within the social and medical contexts in which they occur.

Suggested Citation

  • Whiteford, Linda M. & Gonzalez, Lois, 1995. "Stigma: The hidden burden of infertility," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 27-36, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:40:y:1995:i:1:p:27-36
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    Cited by:

    1. Janet Green & Philip Darbyshire & Anne Adams & Debra Jackson, 2015. "Desperately seeking parenthood: neonatal nurses reflect on parental anguish," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(13-14), pages 1885-1894, July.
    2. Donkor, Ernestina S. & Sandall, Jane, 2007. "The impact of perceived stigma and mediating social factors on infertility-related stress among women seeking infertility treatment in Southern Ghana," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(8), pages 1683-1694, October.
    3. Alicja Malina & Dorota Suwalska-Barancewicz, 2021. "Comparison of Early-Stage Mothers and Childless Women Seeking Pregnancy: Experienced Stress, Resilience and Satisfaction with Relationship with the Partner," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-14, March.
    4. Nahar, Papreen, 2010. "Health seeking behaviour of childless women in Bangladesh: An ethnographic exploration for the special issue on: Loss in child bearing," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(10), pages 1780-1787, November.
    5. Porter, Maureen & Bhattacharya, Siladitya & van Teijlingen, Edwin, 2006. "Unfulfilled expectations: How circumstances impinge on women's reproductive choices," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(7), pages 1757-1767, April.
    6. Laya Farzadi & Aliyeh Ghasemzadeh & Zahra Bahrami-asl & Hossein Shirdel, 2015. "Predictors of Irrational Parenthood Cognitions in an Iranian Group of Infertile Women," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(3), pages 1-7, March.
    7. Engman, Athena, 2019. "Embodiment and the foundation of biographical disruption," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 225(C), pages 120-127.
    8. Bell, Ann V., 2016. "The margins of medicalization: Diversity and context through the case of infertility," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 39-46.

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    Keywords

    infertility stigma U.S. women;

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