Use of the internet as the only outlet for talking about infertility.
OBJECTIVE
To gather information about demographic characteristics, medical status, mode of Internet participation, and psychological well-being of participants whose only outlets (OOs) for talking about infertility are Internet medical and support forums and to compare them with persons who have additional outlets (AOs).


METHODS
Prospective Internet-based survey.


METHODS
Website of a nonprofit international infertility organization.


METHODS
Five hundred eighty-nine persons submitting fully completed surveys.


METHODS
Internet-based survey with 134 items.


METHODS
Survey of types of Internet participation, benefits of participation, self-assessed ability to cope with aspects of infertility, perceived stress, perceived support from relatives and friends, and 21-item Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), which is an instrument designed to measure depressive symptomatology.


RESULTS
Only-outlet and AO participants were comparable in their medical history and treatments. Only-outlet participants had less formal education, were less wealthy, and more likely to be homemakers. Compared with AO participants, OO participants were more depressed and got less real-world support while feeling more supported on the Internet.


CONCLUSIONS
Used properly, the Internet can help people facing infertility by educating, empowering, and diminishing their feelings of depression. But the Internet can also be used inappropriately to withdraw from real-world interactions.
Epstein
Yakov M
YM
Center for Mathematics, Science, and Computer Education, Piscataway, New Jersey 08855, USA. yepstein@rci.rutgers.edu
Rosenberg
Helane S
HS
Grant
Theresa Venet
TV
Hemenway B A
Nancy
N
D001294:Attitude to Health; D003142:Communication; D003710:Demography; D004522:Educational Status; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000523:psychology*; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000523:psychology*; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012919:Social Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States