Submitted by Shelby D Burns Wed 02/05/2014
Couple Struggles with infertility will put a strain on the strongest relationship. But there may be light at the end of the tunnel. New research suggests that women who have a baby after experiencing fertility issues are more likely to stay in a relationship with their partner. Some couples experience increased couples Led by Trille Kristina Kjaer of the Unit of Survivorship at the Danish Cancer Society Research Center in Denmark, the research team noted that previous research suggest that when couples experience infertility stress, this can affect them physically and psychologically. Other studies have shown that when fertility treatment is unsuccessful, there can be a subsequent lower quality of life for the couple, as well as anxiety, depression and increased stress levels. But these investigators were interested in the studies which showed that some couples experience an increased closeness. Research followed 47,000 women The team analyzed data from over 47,000 women from the Danish national Patient Registry and the Danish IVF Registry. The women were referred to a Danish hospital for fertility problems between 1990 and 2006. The women were followed for 12 years. During that time, 57% of women gave birth to at least one child while 43% did not. Women who did not give birth to a child were three times more likely to divorce or end the relationship compared with women who gave birth. Fertility struggles influence length of relationship “Our findings suggest that not having a child after fertility treatment may adversely affect the duration of a relationship for couples with fertility issues,” said Dr. Kjaer. Further research is needed to show why this happens and to determine the relationship quality and well-being of the couples prior to fertility problems. Their study does not find a causal relationship.
