The effect of stigma perception on emotional problems in infertile women

This study was conducted in a descriptive cross-sectional type in order to determine the effect of stigma perception on emotional problems in infertile women. The research consisted of 120 primary infertile women selected by random sampling method, one of the improbable sampling methods, between October 2019 and December 2019 at Çorum Hitit University Erol Olçok Training and Research Hospital Assisted Reproductive Therapy Center (ARTC). "Personal Information Form (PIF)", "Infertility Stigma Scale (ISS)", "Beck Depression Scale (BDI)" and "State and Trait Anxiety Scale (SCAS)" was applied. In the evaluation of the data, Mann Whitney U, T, Kruskal Wallis and Spearman's rho correlation test was used. In our study, it was determined that infertile women felt moderately stigmatized (47,34±21,91) according to the mean score of the ISS scale. When the distribution of infertile women's sub-dimension mean scores was analysed, it was found that the mean scores of social stigma (14,78±8,24) and social withdrawal (13,28±5,84) sub-dimensions were higher. It was determined that 67,5% of the women experienced minimal depression, 56,7% moderate state anxiety and 71,7% moderate trait anxiety. The difference between infertile women's ISS total score and ISS sub-dimension means scores and BDI, SAI and TAI scores was found to be statistically significant (p<0,05). In conclusion, in our study it was found that the relationship between the perception of stigma in infertile women and the mean scores of BDI, SAI, and TAI were strongly positive (p<0,05). Key Words: Infertile woman, stigma perception, depression, anxiety