Misinterpreting the Biological Realities: Phenomenological Exploration of the Socio-Psychological Challenges faced by the Infertile Women in Multan (Pakistan)

Abstract

Infertility is the inability of a woman to conceive after one year of uninterrupted intercourse. This medical condition in women is not treated as a biological phenomenon but rather as a socio-psychological one. A sample of 12 infertile women aged 20-36 years was selected from gynecologists working in the private hospitals of Multan city (Pakistan). A phenomenological research approach was used to explore the participants' real-life stories. Thematic analysis identified the major social sufferings as marital strain, social stigma and labeling, social pressure from in-laws and the natal family to get pregnant, social exclusion from gatherings, cultural and religious misinterpretations, and challenging the social identity of womanhood. Furthermore, the data divulged that the psychological sufferings of the infertile women included constant depression about infertility, anxiety, and stress about not having children, along with fear, self-blame, and trauma about infertility. In conclusion, the biological realities of infertility are overlapped by the cultural stereotypes in which womanhood is linked with motherhood. Promoting couple-based counseling programs, along with marital support interventions, and ensuring access to psychological counseling services can reduce the socio-psychological sufferings of the infertile women in the study area.