New research shows women find it difficult talking about infertility
Infertility is viewed very differently across Europe according to a new study, which shows that the majority of Italians, Irish and German patients feel it’s a taboo subject and 36% of British and 35% of Spanish patients feel that way too.
The study showed that 44% of British infertile couple would only feel comfortable discussing treatments with their family and half of patients don’t even discuss the issue of infertility with their family.
Sharing the information made them feel better, provided it was shared only with close friends and family; few (16%) British patients discussed their experience in online forums and social networks. If requested to tell their story in public, only half of British patients would be willing to do so, and only providing the details of the treatment itself were not given.
Dr Walker, fertility specialist at Institut Marquès, said: “Some patients are wary of discussing their infertility with others because they worry that this could affect people’s attitudes towards their child in the future.
“Furthermore, if couples conceive using sperm or egg donation, they may decide not to tell their child, so the less people that know, the less likely it is that the child will find out. We advise couples to tell people they are having treatment, but not to give details, simply requesting support, discretion and respect, without judgement or unhelpful comments”.
Differences according to the countries
The social context of infertility is linked to cultural and religious traditions in each country, and is also affected by the legislative framework that is in place. A great variety of legislation exists in Europe: in Germany and Norway, for example, egg donation and embryo donation are both illegal techniques, and therefore couples undergoing these particular treatments need to live with a degree of secrecy.
The study analysed opinions of 952 patients from 10 countries. The patients were given a questionnaire on the day of their embryo transfer, and were asked about the extent to which they discuss their fertility with friends and family in their own country.
The study showed that, regardless of laws, cultures and religion in their home countries, couples suffering from infertility all have a common need: to share their problem with their close family. However, patients tend not to go into detail with their family about the type of treatment they are receiving.
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