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DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1368461
Sexuality, Self-Esteem and Partnership Quality in Infertile Women and Men
Sexualität, Selbstwertgefühl und Beziehungsqualität bei infertilen Frauen und MännernAuthors
Publication History
received 13 February 2014
revised 17 April 2014
accepted 23 April 2014
Publication Date:
03 September 2014 (online)
Abstract
Introduction: Infertile couples often report quality-of-life impairments, especially in terms of sexuality, self-esteem and partnership quality. So far, there have been no systematic studies of the sex lives and behaviour of infertile women and men before and after the emergence of their mutual desire for a child. Materials and Methods: From February 2010 to August 2010 all couples starting treatment either at Heidelberg Universityʼs Womenʼs Hospital or at the Fertility Center Berlin were asked to fill out the Self-Esteem and Relationship Questionnaire (SEAR). A total of n = 158 women and n = 153 men participated in the study. Results: Decreasing tendencies were observable for both partners in the domains Sexual Relationship Satisfaction and Confidence and in the subscales Self-Esteem and Overall Relationship Satisfaction. There were especially clear indications of a loss of spontaneous sexuality during the experience of infertility. We were also able to establish that infertility has a negative impact on womenʼs self-esteem. Discussion: The results of this study indicate that SEAR can be used as a feasible instrument for identifying infertile women and men whose infertility has a negative effect on their relationship quality and/or sex lives.
Zusammenfassung
Einführung: Infertile Paare berichten häufig von eingeschränkter Lebensqualität, insbesondere bezüglich ihrer Sexualität, ihres Selbstwertgefühls und ihrer Beziehungsqualität. Bisher gab es noch keine systematischen Studien zur Erfassung sexuellen Erlebens und Verhaltens infertiler Frauen und Männer vor und nach dem Auftreten ihres gemeinsamen Kinderwunschs. Material und Methode: Zwischen Februar und August 2010 wurden alle Paare, die eine Infertilitätsbehandlung entweder an der Universitäts-Frauenklinik Heidelberg oder im Fertility Center Berlin begonnen hatten, gebeten, den „Self-Esteem and Relationship Questionnaire“ (SEAR) auszufüllen. Insgesamt nahmen n = 158 Frauen und n = 153 Männer an dieser Studie teil. Ergebnisse: In den Bereichen „Zufriedenheit mit der Sexualität“ und „Selbstvertrauen“ sowie in den Subskalen „Selbstwertgefühl“ und „allgemeine Zufriedenheit mit der Beziehung“ waren bei beiden Partnern abnehmende Werte zu beobachten. Insbesondere gab es klare Hinweise auf die Abnahme spontaner Sexualität durch die Erfahrung der Infertilität. Wir konnten ebenso feststellen, dass Infertilität einen negativen Einfluss auf das Selbstwertgefühl der betroffenen Frauen hat. Diskussion: Diese Studienergebnisse weisen darauf hin, dass der SEAR als ein geeignetes Instrument zur Identifizierung derjenigen Frauen und Männer mit Kinderwunsch dienen kann, bei denen die Infertilität einen negativen Einfluss auf ihre Beziehungsqualität und/oder ihre Sexualität hat.
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