[Unresolved couple conflicts in male infertility].
OBJECTIVE
There is empirical evidence that sterility causes a considerable amount of distress and affects correspondingly the partnership. Empirical results concerning male infertility show increased somatic complaints and reduced self-esteem of the men as well as a dominance of the accompanying partners. Which couple conflicts arise after the diagnosis of male infertility?


METHODS
84 infertile men were examined with a partnership diagnostic questionnaire. The questionnaire was evaluated with regard to quantity and quality of unsolved couple conflicts.


RESULTS
The results show that infertile men do not mention more unsolved conflict areas in their partnership than healthy men. If one looks qualitatively at the mentioned conflict areas, striking differences in comparison to the control group can be seen.


CONCLUSIONS
In comparison to the control group of healthy men, the specificity of conflict areas in infertile couples can be best understood on the basis of exchange-theoretical considerations.
Schilling
G
G
Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, Universität Bonn.
Conrad
R
R
Haidl
G
G
Liedtke
R
R
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D004291:Dominance-Subordination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000523:psychology