INFERTILITY AND ITS PSYCHOSOCIAL AND SEXUAL CONSEQUENCES: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY AMONG WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE IN CHANDIGARH, INDIA

Navya, *Dr. Dinesh Kumar, Dr. Manoj Kumar

ABSTRACT

Background: Infertility remains a major reproductive health concern. Beyond its biological or medical causes, infertility has significant psychosocial and cultural impacts. Broad spectrum of psychological, social, cultural and sexual consequences of infertile women in India poses a major public health challenge requiring attention of researchers. Objectives: 1) To identify women’s perceptions regarding causes and beliefs associated with infertility.2) To explore their opinions about causation, psychosocial and sexual consequences of infertility. Methods: Cross-sectional mixed-method study among women of reproductive in Chandigarh selected by stratified two-stage random sampling technique. They were interviewed in depth for their perceptions regarding infertility. Data were collected through in depth interviews using interview schedules designed for this purpose. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics and Chi-square test. Results: Among 256 women surveyed, the most commonly perceived causes of infertility were hormonal imbalance (18.4%), lifestyle factors (18.0%), and stress (12.9%). Nearly half the respondents reported lack of emotional and financial support (45.3%), with frequent experiences of anxiety and depression (34.4%), emotional breakdown (33.6%), and feelings of guilt (22.7%). In terms of social impact, 49.2% of women faced loss of respect within the family, 30.1% experienced discouragement from the community, and 22.3% were excluded from social gatherings. Sexual consequences included indifferent behavior of the partner (25.0%), reduced interest in spouse (19.9%), and extramarital affairs of husband (16.4%). The association between education and social consequences was not significant (χ² = 4.06, p = 0.131), indicating that stigma and social effects cut across educational levels. However, psychological distress was significantly associated with income level (χ² = 10.15, p = 0.017), being higher in lower socioeconomic groups. Conclusions and Suggestions: Findings of present study highlight that infertility is not only a medical condition but also a psychosocial and cultural issue deeply affecting women’s emotional well-being and social status according to women of reproductive age across all socio-demographic groups in Chandigarh. The study underscores the need for a multidimensional approach to infertility management emphasizing an integrated approach to deal with this problem. Public health programs should aim not only at medical management but also destigmatization through community-based education and reproductive counseling.

Keywords: Infertility, women’s perceptions, awareness, reproductive health, social stigma.