title: Marital stability and repartnering: infertility-related stress trajectories of unsuccessful fertility treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the trajectories of infertility-related stress between patients who remain in the same relationship and patients who repartner.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal cohort study using latent growth modeling.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fertility centers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Childless men and women evaluated before starting a new cycle of fertility treatment and observed for a 5-year period of unsuccessful treatments.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Marital stability and infertility-related stress.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of patients (86%) remained with their initial partner, but 14% of participants separated and repartnered while pursuing fertility treatments. Marital stability significantly predicted the initial status of infertility stress and infertility stress growth levels. Specifically, patients who repartnered had higher infertility stress levels at all time points compared with those who remained in the same relationship, regardless of the partner they were with at assessment. Furthermore, results showed an increasing stress trajectory over time for those who repartnered, compared with those who remained in a stable relationship.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Men and women in fertility treatment who form a second union have higher initial levels of stress in their original relationship and higher changes in stress levels over the course of treatments. These findings suggest that high infertility-related stress levels before entering fertility treatment can negatively affect the stability of marital relationships and lead to repartnering.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; Center for Psychology at University of Porto, Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: mmartins@fpce.up.pt.
authors.forename: Mariana V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's, PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Portugal.
authors.forename: Patrício
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology, Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Chapman University, Orange, California.
authors.forename: Brennan D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; Center for Psychology at University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Lone
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000628:therapy*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D012747:Sexual Partners; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Infertility-related stress; marital stability; repartnering