Gender differences in infertility-related stress and the relationship between stress and social support in Thai infertile couples.
OBJECTIVE
To study infertility-related stress among men and women and to examine its relationship with the level of perceived social support.


METHODS
The Fertility Problem Inventory (FPI) and the Personal Resource Questionnaire (PRQ) were translated into Thai and used to assess the level of infertility-related stress and perceived social support, respectively, in 238 infertile subjects.


RESULTS
The global FPI scores for men and women were 154.2 +/- 18.3 and 154.7 +/- 22.6, respectively (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in their perceived social support (PRQ scores = 137.8 + 14.0 and 134.0 +/- 16. 7 respectively). A significant negative correlation (r = -0.1894; p < 0.001) existed between global stress and social support in women, but not in men.


CONCLUSIONS
Thai infertile couples experienced a high level of stress. Unlike previous studies from Western countries, there was no gender diference in infertility-related stress.
Sreshthaputra
Opas
O
Division of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand. osreshth@mail.med.cmu.ac.th
Sreshthaputra
Rung-aroon
RA
Vutyavanich
Teraporn
T
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D003469:Culture; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000523:psychology*; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D012737:Sex Factors; D012938:Social Perception; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013785:Thailand