Does Experiencing Fertility Problems and Having Infertility Treatment Affect the Women Stress and Working Life? The Turkish Experience.

Background: Infertility processis a strestfull period that effects of couple's life, especially their working life. It can be difficult for women with fertility problems to fulfill work responsibilities during infertility treatment. The current study aimed to explore effects of infertility treatment on women's stress and hence working life. There is limited literature related to effect of this treatment on women working life so this is important issue worldwide.

Subjects And Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study and 200 women undergoing infertility treatment participated. Our participants were primary infertile working women who had received at least one-cycle of infertility treatment before being invited to be part of study. An Introductory Data and Fertility History Form, Infertility Treatment and Working Performance Questionnaire and Visual Analogue Stress Scale were administered over-3 month period.

Results: More than half of women (53%) reported that they experienced problems related to ask the manager for the leave because of some procedure during the infertility treatment. Fear of administrator, not being able to focuse on work, not being understood by collegues, a negative impact on career, increase in work stress were problems reported by women. Also participants reported adversity in sharing infertility treatment with male administrators.

Conclusions: The study found that infertility treatment process affect women's working life negatively. Therefore health professionales should improve employers awareness about impact of infertility treatment on working life for purposs of improving professional support needed during this treatment time. Women should be encouraged to share feelings/problems they experience with employers/colleagues.