Predictors of Stigma Among Women with Infertility: A Cross-Sectional Study in Shenzhen, China

The issue of infertility is a worldwide challenge, estimated to affect approximately 50 million couples. Infertility is a stressful event for women and may result in stigma. This study aimed to investigate stigma and its predictors in Chinese women with infertility.

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Shenzhen, China, from November 2022 to April 2023. Two hundred seventy-five women with infertility completed the Mandarin version of the Infertility Stigma Scale (ISS), the Mandarin version of the Fertility Problem Inventory (M-FPI), and a socialdemographic data sheet. Descriptive statistics were used for demographic and infertility-related characteristics and study variables. The predictors of stigma were subjected to univariate and multivariate analyses.

Although the women with infertility had an average mild level of stigma (54.00 [38.00, 68.00]), 26.9% (n = 74) and 4.7% (n = 13) of the women had a moderate and severe level of stigma, respectively. The women had an average moderate level of infertility-related stress (143.00 [122.00, 157.00]), with 7.3% (n = 20) of women having severe infertility-related stress. The predictors of stigma in women with infertility were the dimensions of social concern, relationship concern, and need for parenthood of infertility-related stress.

This study found that stigma and infertility-related stress were prevalent in Chinese women with infertility. Psychosocial strategies aimed at reducing infertility-related stress may help mitigate perceived stigma in this population.