Iranian infertile couples' strategies to manage social interactions after unsuccessful treatments with assisted reproductive technologies

Many infertile couples feel vulnerable after failed treatment cycles and find insensitive remarks or inappropriate support distressing. They fear that the stress of failed treatment cycles may affect their marriage and lead to marriage breakdown. This study explored the strategies a sample of infertile couples used to manage social interactions after unsuccessful treatment with assisted reproductive technologies. A descriptive qualitative study was conducted with 34 participants including nine infertile couples, nine infertile women and two infertile men with primary infertility, two relatives, and three fertility clinic staff. The participants were selected through purposive sampling at an infertility centre in Iran, between 2016 and 2017. Data were collected using semi-structured face-to-face interviews and analysed by qualitative content analysis approach. Participants found some social interactions after failed assisted reproductive treatment cycles to be distressing and painful. They described tolerating painful emotions which cause them sadness and sorrow as well as feeling embarrassed. As a result, they found they needed to maintain their adopting concealment strategies with their families through not permitting speculation, selective disclosure, not giving details and hiding the truth. This study showed that social interactions following failed assisted reproductive cycles can be upsetting for infertile couples. Couples use different strategies to manage potentially distressing social interactions. Healthcare providers and psychologists may provide a space for safe social interactions in order to help couples to use appropriate strategies in these circumstances

Study of Knowledge and Practice of Men with Wives who Suffer From Premenstrual Syndrome about the Syndrome in Yazd City

Introduction: Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) includes physical, psychological and emotional symptoms that occur during last days of premenstrual cycle and subside with the start of menstruation or during the first days of bleeding, so the study aimed determining knowledge and practice of men who their waives suffer from PMS about the syndrome in Yazd city. Methods: The descriptive-analytical study carried out on 240 young couples referred to Yazd Health Care Centers who were selected randomly and entered in the study voluntarily. The tools for data collection were Premenstrual Syndrome Screening Tool and a researcher-designed questionnaire for measuring men's knowledge and practice about the syndrome. A pilot study approved the validity and reliability of the questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS18 software. In analyzing the data, statistical tests such as T-Test, ANOVA and correlation coefficient were used. Results: Mean score of men's knowledge about PMS which included their scores in awareness about the mental and physicals symptoms of PMS and strategies for reducing the symptoms was 26.51±7.40 out of 51and and their practice mean score was 23.01±5.20 out of 32.There was a significant relation between knowledge and practice (p=0.00).The less correct answerer to knowledge question was in turn to questions of suicide tendency, increased appetite and loose weight and the less reported practice was "calling to wife in premenstrual period and recalling her to have an snack". Conclusions:For achieving this important issuepresenting high quality education programs which may causes sustainable behavior change with an emphasize on issues such as symptoms of PMS including suicide tendency, self harm, increased appetite and strategies for loose weight and snack consumption is recommended