A Qualitative Study of Couples’ Experiences of Reconstructing the Relationship After Long-Term Infertility
Keywords:
Long-term infertility, relationship reconstruction, couples, marital intimacy, qualitative study, thematic analysisAbstract
This study aimed to explore couples’ lived experiences of reconstructing their marital relationship after long-term infertility. This qualitative study was conducted using thematic analysis. Participants were 18 couples living in Tehran who had experienced at least five years of infertility and had pursued infertility treatment. Purposeful sampling with maximum variation was applied in terms of age, duration of marriage, cause of infertility, treatment history, and socioeconomic background. Recruitment continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with couples. Interviews lasted between 50 and 90 minutes, were audio-recorded with informed consent, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using NVivo software. Data analysis followed the phases of familiarization, initial coding, theme development, theme review, theme definition, and final reporting. Credibility was enhanced through member checking, peer debriefing, prolonged engagement with the data, and maintaining an audit trail. Five main categories were extracted: “redefining infertility from individual failure to a shared couple issue,” “reopening emotional dialogue and shared mourning,” “reconstructing intimacy beyond treatment-oriented sexuality,” “setting boundaries against family pressure and social stigma,” and “creating new meanings of future, parenthood, and marital continuity.” Participants described relationship reconstruction as beginning when infertility was no longer perceived as the fault of one partner but as a shared marital experience. Emotional support, forgiveness, non-blaming communication, renewed sexual intimacy, boundary-setting with extended family, and realistic hope were central to the reconstruction process. Long-term infertility may erode emotional closeness, sexual intimacy, and marital security; however, when couples develop mutual support, open communication, social boundary-setting, and a reconstructed meaning of shared life, infertility can become a turning point for strengthening couple identity and rebuilding emotional connection.
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