Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Revisiting "her" infertility
T2 - medicalized embodiment, self-identification and distress
AU - Johnson, Katherine M.
AU - Fledderjohann, Jasmine
N1 - Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
PY - 2012/9
Y1 - 2012/9
N2 - Prior research emphasizes women's distress and responsibility for a couple's infertility because of gendered, pronatalist norms. Yet some studies suggest that being personally diagnosed and/or undergoing treatment differentially shapes reactions. We focused on differences in women's experiences with diagnosis and treatment, conceptualized as the medicalized embodiment of infertility. Using regression analysis, we examined two psychosocial outcomes (self-identification as infertile and fertility-specific distress) in a sample of 496 heterosexual, U.S. women from the National Survey of Fertility Barriers. Medicalized embodiment was salient to women's reactions, but had different relationships to self-identification versus distress. Although women experienced distress regardless of type of diagnosis, they were generally less likely to self-identify as infertile unless personally diagnosed. As such, we cannot assume that all women universally experience infertility. Future research should also address self-identification and distress as separate as opposed to simultaneous psychosocial outcomes.
AB - Prior research emphasizes women's distress and responsibility for a couple's infertility because of gendered, pronatalist norms. Yet some studies suggest that being personally diagnosed and/or undergoing treatment differentially shapes reactions. We focused on differences in women's experiences with diagnosis and treatment, conceptualized as the medicalized embodiment of infertility. Using regression analysis, we examined two psychosocial outcomes (self-identification as infertile and fertility-specific distress) in a sample of 496 heterosexual, U.S. women from the National Survey of Fertility Barriers. Medicalized embodiment was salient to women's reactions, but had different relationships to self-identification versus distress. Although women experienced distress regardless of type of diagnosis, they were generally less likely to self-identify as infertile unless personally diagnosed. As such, we cannot assume that all women universally experience infertility. Future research should also address self-identification and distress as separate as opposed to simultaneous psychosocial outcomes.
KW - Adult
KW - Female
KW - Humans
KW - Infertility, Female
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Self Concept
KW - Stress, Psychological
KW - Journal Article
KW - Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
U2 - 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.04.020
DO - 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.04.020
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 22647565
VL - 75
SP - 883
EP - 891
JO - Social Science and Medicine
JF - Social Science and Medicine
SN - 0277-9536
IS - 5
ER -