Gender differences in how men and women who are referred for IVF cope with infertility stress

TLDR

Infertility stress is managed by diverse coping strategies employed by both men and women. The study examined gender differences in coping behaviors among 1,026 IVF‑referred patients. Participants completed the Ways of Coping Questionnaire, Fertility Problem Inventory, and Dyadic Adjustment Scale to assess coping strategies. Women used more confrontative coping, acceptance, social support, and escape/avoidance, while men favored distancing, self‑control, and planful problem‑solving; infertility stress correlated positively with escape/avoidance and acceptance and negatively with social support, planful problem‑solving, and distancing, highlighting key gender differences.

Abstract

Men and women use a variety of coping strategies to manage stress associated with infertility. Although previous research has helped us understand these coping processes, questions remain about gender differences in coping and the nature of the relationship between coping and specific types of infertility stress.This study examined the coping behaviours of 1026 (520 women, 506 men) consecutively referred patients at a University-affiliated teaching hospital. Participants completed the Ways of Coping Questionnaire, Fertility Problem Inventory and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale.Women used proportionately greater amounts of confrontative coping, accepting responsibility, seeking social support and escape/avoidance when compared with men, whereas men used proportionately greater amounts of distancing, self-controlling and planful problem-solving. For men and women, infertility stress was positively related to escape/avoidance and accepting responsibility and negatively related to seeking social support, planful problem-solving and distancing.By analysing relative coping scores, this study identified key gender differences in how men and women cope with infertility. This was particularly true for men's coping processes that had previously remained hidden because of less frequent use of coping strategies when compared with women.