How does Infertility Affect Mental Health in Women?

How does Infertility Affect Mental Health in Women?
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Abstract
Rationale:
Gender is a key determinant of health whose influence may lead to health disparities. Infertility is a reproductive health concern affecting both men and women, with the latter experiencing more devastating effects on their overall wellbeing. The inability of a woman to conceive a child after one year of unprotected sex with their partners can result in a wide range of mental health problems for the victim. This study seeks to investigate the impact of infertility on women's mental health.
Objective:
This study aims to explore and explain the impact of infertility on women's mental health
Methodology:
The research methodology for this study is the literature review of selected peer-reviewed documents or articles from selected databases, including PubMed Central, BioMed (BMC) Central, SAGE Journals Online, and ResearchGate. Only articles published in 2017 and later are considered for review. The research methodology selected 20 papers deemed relevant for the literature review.
Results:
Results from the review of selected literature indicate that infertility presents a wide range of negative implications on women's mental wellbeing.
Discussion
There are different definitions of infertility in women based on age and ability to carry a pregnancy to term. Women above the age of 40 years, for instance, are considered infertile if they fail to conceive after three months of unprotected sexual intercourse. Infertility is a threat to women's mental health and wellbeing irrespective of its form.
Implications:
The impact of age in assessing how infertility affects the mental wellbeing of women calls for further investigations to understand the difference in how women across different age groups deal with the problem.
How Does Infertility Affect Mental Health in Women?
The health and well-being of individuals and groups in any given society are functions of different personal, social, economic, and environmental factors. Factors such as a person’s gender or cultural orientation, childhood experiences, physical environment, level of education and literacy, and even their racial backgrounds play a significant role in determining their health. These factors are commonly referred to as determinants of health. Among the determinants of health is a specific category of social and economic factors relating to an individual’s or group’s place in society known as the social determinants of health. These social determinants of health account for the existing health disparities among members of a given community and include gender, income, and employment. For instance, according to the Second Report on the Health of Canadians, women are more likely to suffer depression and other complications than their male counterpartsCITATION Gov13 \l 1033 (Government of Canada, 2013). It suffices, therefore, that gender is a key determinant of health whose influence may lead to health disparities in society. Infertility is a reproductive health concern affecting both men and women, with varied repercussions on society's overall health and well-being. It affects the psychological, biological, and social w...