Login Register Cart 0
Generic placeholder image

Current Women`s Health Reviews

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 1573-4048
ISSN (Online): 1875-6581

Back
Journal Home About Journal Editorial Board Journal Insight Current Issue Volumes/Issues
Subscribe
Research Article

Infertile Women's Perceptions of Infertility: A Phenomenological Study Based on Metaphor Analysis

Author(s): Nurcan Kirca * and Aslı Sis Celik

Volume 18, Issue 2, 2022

Published on: 23 February, 2021

Article ID: e241221191750 Pages: 8

DOI: 10.2174/1573404817666210223162239

Price: $65

Abstract

Background: Infertility is an increasing health problem which affects 10-15% of couples across the world. Infertility can cause various psychosocial problems such as stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, social isolation and stigmatization during the diagnosis and treatment process.

Objective: The study was designed to reveal what kinds of cognitive images (metaphors) women produce in defining infertility, why they produce them and whether the metaphors produced by them differ depending on their professional culture.

Methods: This study is a qualitative research carried out based on metaphor analysis in phenomenology design. The study was conducted on 15 participants. The data were collected by the researcher between May-July 2019.

Results: The metaphors revealed by participants on what infertility meant to them, according to their professional culture, included dry and fruitless tree, a defective human, cube, cactus and rose, empty tin can, hope and snowdrop, orzo, parasite, national lottery ticket, stock market, figures, surprise egg, bird, a slowly filled lake, and a disease that is very difficult to treat.

Conclusion: Metaphors reflect the beliefs, values and norms of individuals. According to the findings, we can understand and comment on infertile women’s perceptions regarding infertility and what infertility means to them.

Keywords: Phenomenology, infertility, infertility perception, metaphor, nursing, professional culture.

Graphical Abstract

[1]
Cunningham J. Infertility: A primer for primary care providers. JAAPA 2017; 30(9): 19-25.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.JAA.0000522130.01619.b7] [PMID: 28787288]
[2]
Kumar N, Singh AK. Trends of male factor infertility, an important cause of infertility: A review of literature. J Hum Reprod Sci 2015; 8(4): 191-6.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/0974-1208.170370] [PMID: 26752853]
[3]
Ghorbel M, Baklouti-Gargouri S, Keskes R, et al. gr/gr-DAZ2-DAZ4-CDY1b deletion is a high-risk factor for male infertility in Tunisian population. Gene 2016; 592(1): 29-35.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gene.2016.07.050] [PMID: 27457284]
[4]
Messinis IE, Messini CI, Daponte A, Garas A, Mahmood T. The current situation of infertility services provision in Europe. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2016; 207: 200-4.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2016.10.004] [PMID: 28029395]
[5]
Boivin J, Bunting L, Collins JA, Nygren KG. International estimates of infertility prevalence and treatment-seeking: potential need and demand for infertility medical care. Hum Reprod 2007; 22(6): 1506-12.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dem046] [PMID: 17376819]
[6]
Mascarenhas MN, Flaxman SR, Boerma T, Vanderpoel S, Stevens GA. National, regional, and global trends in infertility prevalence since 1990: a systematic analysis of 277 health surveys. PLoS Med 2012; 9(12)e1001356
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001356] [PMID: 23271957]
[7]
Kırca N, Pasinlioğlu T. Psychosocial problems during infertility treatment. Curr Approaches Psychiatry 2013; 5(2): 162-78.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.5455/cap.20130511]
[8]
2016. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), National Center for Health Statistics – Infertility Statistics, 2016, Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/infertility.htm
[9]
Datta J, Palmer MJ, Tanton C, et al. Prevalence of infertility and help seeking among 15 000 women and men. Hum Reprod 2016; 31(9): 2108-18.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dew123] [PMID: 27365525]
[10]
Hess RF, Ross R, GilillandJr JL. GilillandJr JL. Infertility, psychological distress, and coping strategies among women in Mali, West Africa: a mixed-methods study. Afr J Reprod Health 2018; 22(1): 60-72.
[PMID: 29777643]
[11]
Ramezanzadeh F, Aghssa MM, Abedinia N, et al. A survey of relationship between anxiety, depression and duration of infertility. BMC Womens Health 2004; 4(1): 9.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1472-6874-4-9] [PMID: 15530170]
[12]
Patton MO. Qualitative evaluation and research methods. 3rd ed. Saint Paul, MN: Sage Publications 2001.
[13]
Koçak C. Metaphorical perceptions of teacher candidates towards the school concept: lotus flower model. MIJE 2013; 3(4): 43-56.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.13054/mije.13.61.3.4]
[14]
Holme R. Mind, metaphor and language teaching. 1st ed. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan 2004.
[15]
Lakoff G, Johnson M. Philosophy in the flesh: The embodied mind and its challenge to western thought. New York, NY: Basic Books 1999.
[16]
Parın K. Metaphors: Life, meaning and language. Söylem Filoloji Dergisi 2017; 2(1): 149-51.
[17]
Özgün BB, Gürkan G, Kahraman S. The investigation of preservice teachers’ perception about science and scientist via metaphoric analysis. Inonu University J Faculty Educ 2018; 19(2): 204-25.
[18]
Arıkan R. Research methods and techniques 2011.
[19]
Günbayı İ. Principals’ perceptions on school management: a case study with metaphorical analysis. Int Online J Educ Sci 2011; 3(2): 541-61.
[20]
Palmer-Wackerly AL, Krieger JL. Dancing around infertility: the use of metaphors in a complex medical situation. Health Commun 2015; 30(6): 612-23.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2014.888386] [PMID: 25061825]
[21]
Arroliga AC, Newman S, Longworth DL, Stoller JK. Metaphorical medicine: using metaphors to enhance communication with patients who have pulmonary disease. Ann Intern Med 2002; 137(5 Part 1): 376-9.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-137-5_Part_1-200209030-00037] [PMID: 12204044]
[22]
Domar AD, Kelly AL. Conquering infertility: Dr Alice Domar’s guide to enhancing fertility and coping with infertility. New York: Viking 2002.
[23]
Yıldırım A, Şimşek H. Qualitative research methods in the social sciences. Ankara: Seckin Publication 2013.
[24]
Charteris-Black J. Shattering the bell jar: metaphor, gender, and depression. Metaphor Symb 2012; 27(3): 199-216.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10926488.2012.665796]
[25]
Gibbs RW Jr, Franks H. Embodied metaphor in women’s narratives about their experiences with cancer. Health Commun 2002; 14(2): 139-65.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/S15327027HC1402_1] [PMID: 12046796]
[26]
Mirza HS. A second skin: Embodied intersectionality, transnationalism and narratives of identity and belonging among Muslim women in Britain. Womens Stud Int Forum 2013; 36: 5-15.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2012.10.012]
[27]
Chi HJ, Park IH, Sun HG, Kim JW, Lee KH. Psychological distress and fertility quality of life (FertiQoL) in infertile Korean women: The first validation study of Korean FertiQoL. Clin Exp Reprod Med 2016; 43(3): 174-80.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.5653/cerm.2016.43.3.174] [PMID: 27689041]
[28]
Czyżkowska A, Awruk K, Janowski K. Sexual satisfaction and sexual reactivity in infertile women: The contribution of the dyadic functioning and clinical variables. Int J Fertil Steril 2016; 9(4): 465-76.
[PMID: 26985333]
[29]
Sezgin H, Hocaoglu C, Guvendag-Guven ES. Disability, psychiatric symptoms, and quality of life in infertile women: a cross-sectional study in Turkey. Shanghai Jingshen Yixue 2016; 28(2): 86-94.
[PMID: 27605864]
[30]
Koçyiğit TO. Infertility and its socio-cultural impacts. Insanbil Derg 2012; 1(1): 27-37.
[31]
Kamaci S. The investigation of the effect of infertile on family life in couples with primary infertility. Graduation Thesis, Ege University, Izmir, 2003.
[32]
Can G. Examination of anxiety and depression levels of women applying to assisted reproductive techniques.Master Thesis. Ege University School of Nursing 2005.
[33]
Fallahzadeh H, Zareei Mahmood Abadi H, Momayyezi M, Malaki Moghadam H, Keyghobadi N. The comparison of depression and anxiety between fertile and infertile couples: A meta-analysis study. Int J Reprod Biomed (Yazd) 2019; 17(3): 153-62.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.18502/ijrm.v17i3.4514] [PMID: 31435599]
[34]
Chen D, Zhang JP, Jiang L, et al. Factors that influence in vitro fertilization treatment outcomes of Chinese men: A cross-sectional study. Appl Nurs Res 2016; 32: 222-6.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2016.07.003] [PMID: 27969032]
[35]
Demirci N, Potur Coşkuner D. Male fertility and risky life style behaviors. FNJN 2014; 22(1): 39-45.
[36]
World Health Organization (WHO). Human Reproduction Programme. Sexual and reproductive health. Available from: http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/infertility/b urden/en/ [Accessed on Feb 14, 2022].
[37]
Zivaridelavar M, Kazemi A, Kheirabadi GR. The effect of assisted reproduction treatment on mental health infertile women. J Educ Health Promot 2016; 5(9): 1-6.
[38]
Bilen M. Plan to Practice Teaching. Ankara: Anı Publishing 1992.
[39]
Griffin E. Plan to practice teaching. Ankara: Anı publishing a first look at communication theory. Sixth Ed.. USA: Mcgraw-HillCollege 2005.

Rights & Permissions Print Cite
Article Metrics
36
1
© 2024 Bentham Science Publishers | Privacy Policy