Social problems of infertile women in India

Female partners of 200 consecutively seen infertile couples attending our infertility clinic were interviewed on a structured, precoded form for the social problems faced by the childless women. One or more social problems were present in 34% couples, of whom 53% faced abandonment. Sixteen percent of the women had a strained relationship with their husbands. Social problems increased with duration of marriage and infertility, while these decreased with increase in age, education, and income of the husband. Similarly, the problems decreased with women's education and income. Only seven couples had requested AID.