Examining the relationship between perception of stigma and quality of life of women diagnosed with primary infertility

Objective: This study was conducted to determine the relationship between stigmatization perception and quality of life of women diagnosed with primary infertility. Method: The research was conducted between April and November 2023 at Akdeniz University Hospital in Vitro Fertilization Center. The population of the study consisted of 314 primary infertile women. Personal information form, Quality of Life Scale for People with Fertility Problems and Infertility Stigma Scale were used as data collection tools. Data were collected by face-to-face interview method. Kolmogorov-Smirnow test, Independent Groups t test, Analysis of Variance (F test), Pearson correlation analysis, and Stepwise Regression test were used to analyze the data obtained as a result of the research Results: In the study, the mean score of the quality of life scale for people with fertility problems was 119.86±20.47. The quality of life subscale most affected by women was the relational subscale and the mean score of the relational subscale was calculated as 24.45±4.13. The mean score of infertility stigmatization scale was calculated as 48.70±22.66. Social stigmatization was the most affected subscale of the ISS and the mean score of social stigmatization was found to be 15.27±8.12. There was a significant moderate negative correlation between the quality of life scale for people with fertility problems and the infertile stigma scale (r=-0.28870, p=0.0001). Conclusion: It was found that women diagnosed with primary infertility had a high level of quality of life and accordingly perceived low levels of stigmatization. It has been found that women are most exposed to social stigma. It was recommended to conduct research in different regions on the quality of life and stigma levels of women diagnosed with infertility with a larger sample group.