What is it about?
How does financial stress during fertility treatment and medically assisted reproduction affect couples’ sex lives and quality of life? The following study explores how perceived financial burden relates to sexual well-being among couples undergoing medically assisted reproduction. A total of 120 couples in the U.S. and Canada completed questionnaires assessing financial experiences, quality of life, and sexual well-being. Results showed that a greater perceived financial burden was linked to poorer quality of life, which was then linked to poor sexual satisfaction, lower desire, and higher sexual distress. Furthermore, one partner’s financial stress was associated with the other poorer sexual outcomes, highlighting how these experiences are shared within a couple.
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Why is it important?
The study is the first to examine the associations among perceived financial burden, quality of life, and sexual outcomes for couples receiving medically assisted reproduction treatment. Results provide evidence that financial challenges can be burdensome to not only quality of life, but also sexual well-being. Professionals can support couples undergoing medically assisted reproduction treatment by encouraging open communication about how finances may affect their quality of life, sexuality, and sexual relationship.
Perspectives
Fertility treatment and medically assisted reproduction are so hard for couples in so many ways. What our study brings to the table is knowledge that feeling financially burdened with treatment could be paired with lower life quality and sexual well-being. The expenses of medically assisted reproduction go far beyond the wallet and knowing that might make such challenges feel more normal and easier to talk about.
Dr. David B. Allsop
Northern Arizona University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Perceived financial burden is indirectly linked to sexual well-being via quality of life among couples seeking medically assisted reproduction, Frontiers in Psychology, April 2023, Frontiers,
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1063268.
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