Sex Differences in Coping Strategies, Infertility-Related Stress and Predictors of Infertility-Related Stress among Saudi Men and Women Attending Infertility Clinics

Abstract

Infertility is clinically defined as the failure of a couple to achieve pregnancy after one year of unprotected sexual intercourse. Its estimated worldwide prevalence ranges from 8 to 12% among reproductive-aged couples. In Saudi Arabia, the overall prevalence of infertility is estimated to be more than 2.2% of the population, affecting about 30,000 couples. Infertility has emerged as a significant issue among Saudi couples and there is a trend towards a decline in the number of births from 7.06 in 1985 to 1.3 in 2016, yet little is known about infertility in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted to examine sex differences in infertility related stress, coping strategies used to deal with such stress, and to assess the predictors of infertility-related stress in 122 Saudi men and women with infertility. Data were collected using the Perceived Stress Scale and the Copenhagen Multi-Centre Psychosocial Infertility Coping Strategy Scale and analyzed using SPSS software (version 29). The results indicated that the prevalence of high infertility stress was 50.8% among men and 44.3% among women. However, there were no significant sex differences in the levels of infertility-related stress (p = 0.472). Significant sex differences emerged in active-avoidance and active-confronting coping strategies, while no differences were found in passive-avoidance and meaning-based coping strategies between men and women. Age, infertility type, etiologies of infertility, and history of treatment failure were significant predictors of high infertility stress among women, whereas among men, infertility type was the only significant predictor of high infertility stress. Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, including health specialists and psychotherapists, is essential