Comparing Happiness Between Infertile Women and Wives of Infertile Men

Infertility and its treatment, as one of the most difficult experiences in life, affects the mental health and happiness of couples, especially women. This study compared the happiness of infertile women and the wives of infertile men.

This research was a comparative cross-sectional study. The study sample included 142 women (71 infertile women and 71 wives of infertile men) referring to the infertility clinic of Akbarabadi Hospital in Tehran, Iran, selected by consecutive sampling from February to August 2020. Demographic information and the Oxford happiness inventory (OHI) were used to collect the data. The data analysis was performed in SPSS software, version 16 using the Fisher exact-test, Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis, and independent t-test. A P<0.05 was considered significant.

The study showed that infertile women are happier than the wives of infertile men (P=0.006). Also, the subscales of life satisfaction (P=0.016), efficacy (P=0.025), cheerfulness (P=0.001), and self-esteem (P=0.017) were higher in infertile women than in the other group. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in the subscales of sociability and wellbeing.

According to the findings, spouses of infertile men may experience lower happiness levels than infertile women. In addition to paying more attention to the psychological condition of infertile men’s wives, more detailed studies with a larger sample size are needed to confirm the results. Also, qualitative studies are recommended to clarify all dimensions of happiness of infertile couples.