Eight to twelve percent of couples who are of reproductive age experience infertility, which is a significant issue in reproductive health globally. Reproductive health is critically dependent on infertility, which has frequently been overlooked in these attempts. Globally, both men and women are impacted by not being able to have children. Discrimination, exclusion, and sadness are all possible outcomes of infertility.
Methods: From February to July of 2024, 320 infertile women who were attending two hospitals-Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and Mohammadpur Fertility Services and Training Centre (MFSTC)-participated in this descriptive cross-sectional study. The data collection tool utilized was a semi-structured questionnaire. A commonly used BDI scale was employed to assess depression in women who were infertile.
Results: The mean age of the study participants was 32.04 (±7.515) years. According to the BDI scale, 9.4% of infertile women had severe depression, 14.4% had moderate depression, 32.8% had mild depression, and 43.4% had no depression. According to the study's findings, women who have been infertile for longer than five years are statistically more likely to experience depression (P-Value<0.05). According to the results of the chi-square test, sociocultural factors such as the pressure from in-laws to have a child, physical abuse suffered by the infertile woman, the death of a significant other, socioeconomic difficulties (difficulty in meeting daily needs), inadequate health care and social support, social withdrawal or experience with social stigma related to infertility, and lack of confidence in treatment success were found to be significantly contributing factors for depression (P-Value<0.05).
Conclusion: These research findings concentrated on the causes of sadness in women experiencing infertility and how to treat their melancholy.