Differences between husbands' and wives' approach to infertility affect marital communication and adjustment.
OBJECTIVE
To test a theoretical model of the effect on marital communication and adjustment of men's and women's approach to infertility.


METHODS
A cross-sectional research design involving interviews, questionnaires, and a marital discussion task.


METHODS
Volunteers from practices of fertility specialists.


METHODS
Forty-eight couples currently seeking infertility treatment.


METHODS
None.


METHODS
Quality of marital communication during a marital discussion task and effect of infertility on the marriage.


RESULTS
Having children was more important to wives than husbands; wives were more involved in trying to have a baby, wanted to talk with their partner more about trying to have a baby, and experienced a greater loss of self-esteem than did their husbands. To the extent that husbands saw having children as important, were involved in trying to have a baby, or wanted to talk with their wives about trying to have a baby, the quality of marital communication when discussing infertility was less negative, and in turn, wives perceived a more positive effect of infertility on their marriage.


CONCLUSIONS
Increases in husbands' interest and involvement in fertility treatment may lead to positive changes in couple communication about infertility and to a more positive effect of infertility on the marriage.
Pasch
Lauri A
LA
Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA. pasch@itsa.ucsf.edu
Dunkel-Schetter
Christine
C
Christensen
Andrew
A
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D012727:Sex Characteristics