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Infertility: Testing a helpseeking model

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  • White, Lynn
  • McQuillan, Julia
  • Greil, Arthur L.
  • Johnson, David R.

Abstract

This paper uses data from a study of 196 infertile women from the Midwestern US to examine a general theory of helpseeking behavior applied to infertility. All of these women report meeting the medical definition of infertility--12 months or more of regular intercourse without conception--at some point in their lives. Only 35 percent of this sample of infertile women identified themselves as having had fertility problems and only 40 percent had sought medical treatment. Drawing on prior theories of helpseeking, we examine the effects of symptom salience, life course cues, attitudes, predisposing factors, and enabling conditions on helpseeking. We posit a model in which a cognitive dimension (perceived infertility) mediates between these predictors and medical helpseeking. Symptom salience (experienced infertility while actively trying to get pregnant), low parity, and poor subjective health are significantly related to perceived infertility, which is, in turn, significantly associated with helpseeking for infertility. Supporting the conclusion that the cognitive dimension of identifying oneself as infertile is critical to helpseeking, the relationship of symptom salience to helpseeking is partially mediated by perceived problems. Internal health locus of control is associated with lower odds of helpseeking but not to perceived infertility.

Suggested Citation

  • White, Lynn & McQuillan, Julia & Greil, Arthur L. & Johnson, David R., 2006. "Infertility: Testing a helpseeking model," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(4), pages 1031-1041, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:62:y:2006:i:4:p:1031-1041
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    1. Karina Shreffler & Stacy Tiemeyer & Cassandra Dorius & Tiffany Spierling & Arthur Greil & Julia McQuillan, 2016. "Infertility and fertility intentions, desires, and outcomes among US women," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 35(39), pages 1149-1168.
    2. Passet-Wittig, Jasmin & Greil, Arthur L., 2021. "Factors associated with medical help-seeking for infertility in developed countries: A narrative review of recent literature," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).
    3. Greil, Arthur & McQuillan, Julia & Benjamins, Maureen & Johnson, David R. & Johnson, Katherine M. & Heinz, Chelsea R., 2010. "Specifying the effects of religion on medical helpseeking: The case of infertility," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(4), pages 734-742, August.
    4. Greil, Arthur L. & McQuillan, Julia & Lowry, Michele & Shreffler, Karina M., 2011. "Infertility treatment and fertility-specific distress: A longitudinal analysis of a population-based sample of U.S. women," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(1), pages 87-94, July.
    5. Slauson-Blevins, Kathleen S. & McQuillan, Julia & Greil, Arthur L., 2013. "Online and in-person health-seeking for infertility," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 110-115.
    6. 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.
    7. Ester Lazzari & Edith Gray & Bernard Baffour, 2022. "A dyadic approach to the study of perceived subfecundity and contraceptive use," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 47(1), pages 1-36.
    8. Katherine M. Johnson & Arthur L. Greil & Karina M. Shreffler & Julia McQuillan, 2018. "Fertility and Infertility: Toward an Integrative Research Agenda," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 37(5), pages 641-666, October.
    9. Johnson, Katherine M. & Fledderjohann, Jasmine, 2012. "Revisiting “her” infertility: Medicalized embodiment, self-identification and distress," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(5), pages 883-891.

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    Keywords

    Infertility Helpseeking USA;

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