LOVE, SEX, AND INFERTILITY - THE IMPACT OF INFERTILITY ON THE COUPLE

Infertility can significantly stress a couple relationship in a myriad of way. Men and women have different ways of coping with infertility and, at times, one or the other partner feels insufficiently understoo d or supported Issues of coercion, communication, financial allocation , and empathic failure are common. Furthermore, marital and sexual con striction often occurs, both during the months (or years) of infertili ty intervention, and when the infertility crisis has apparently been s uccessfully, resolved. This article addresses these issues and illustr ates them with a case example involving both primary and second infert ility. It is noted that empathic, effective individual and couple ther apy can be an important resource in dealing with both the immediate an d long-term aftermath of infertility on sexual and marital functioning . (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.