title: Gender differences in decision making about infertility treatment.
abstract: The purpose of this descriptive study was to investigate gender differences in decision making about infertility treatment. The sample included 40 male and 107 female RESOLVE members. A questionnaire was used with which subjects rank ordered the importance of 14 factors that could influence the decision to undergo various infertility treatments. Gender differences in the importance of factors considered when making decisions about medical and surgical treatment options were explored. Men accorded more importance to the potential side effects when making decisions to pursue medical or surgical options than did women. Women, on the other hand, viewed the probability that the medical-surgical regimens or procedures would be effective as a more important factor in influencing their decisions about these options than did men. The author suggests that women may place more emphasis on treatment outcome than do men. Instead, men may focus on each individual treatment step involved in the process of becoming pregnant.
authors.forename: D I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Frank
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007062:Identification, Psychological; D007246:Infertility / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires