The impacts of infertility on married couples in Hong Kong

26^th World Congress on Nursing Care

May 21-23, 2018 Osaka, Japan

Luk Hi Kwan

Tung Wah College, Hong Kong

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Nurs Care

Abstract :

Background & Aim: Infertility is a condition affect couple as unit. The aim of the study is to identify infertility-related stress and to determine the levels of self-esteem, sexual satisfaction, perceived intimacy and partnership support among infertile couples. Method: This is a cross-sectional study. Total 113 couple�s questionnaires were analyzed and presented in this report. Results: The results of this study show that infertile couples in Hong Kong were bothered by infertility-related stress. Women suffered significantly more than men in the areas of social concern, sexual concern and relationship concern. Women viewed parenthood as a more important issue than men and would go to any effort to achieve it (women 76.1% vs. men 59.3%). About half of the women (57.5%) and men (49.6%) did not think that their sex life was wonderful and claimed that their partner was not very sensitive to their sexual needs or desires. Luckily, more than eighty percent of the participants in this study reported that they experienced partner support. The correlation results in females indicated that increased levels of partner support, intimacy and sexual satisfaction are associated with higher self-esteem and lower levels of infertility-related stress. The correlation in males indicated that increased levels of perceived intimacy and sexual satisfaction are associated with higher levels of self-esteem and lower levels of infertility-related stress. Conclusion: Interventions to strengthen partnership support among couples and their sexual satisfaction and intimacy will be an essential topic in the future to help infertile couples address their infertility-related stress.

Biography :

Luk Hi Kwan has obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Nursing at Sydney University. She has obtained her Doctoral degree from Hong Kong Polytechnic University and her research interest is care for infertile couples. She is currently working in School of Nursing, Tung Wah College as a Senior Lecturer.
Email:hkluk@twc.edu.hk