No Link Between Fertility Treatment and Divorce Rates

Taking into account the emotional impact that infertility has on couples who are trying to conceive, there have been many claims that fertility treatments also lead to marriage crises, followed by divorce.

New findings indicate that, despite the psychological strain, in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures do not impact divorce rates.

IVF does not lead to divorce

Lead researcher Dr. Mariana Martins, from the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Porto in Portugal, and colleagues conducted a study on 42,845 Danish women undergoing fertility treatments between 1994 and 2009.

The women and the progression of their relationships with their partners were followed consistently over a period of 16 years. The outcomes were compared with those of a control group selected from the general female population.

Throughout the follow-up period, 65 percent of the women undergoing fertility treatments had children with their partners, and 20 percent of the women participating in the study filed for divorce.

After making adjustments for variables such as age and education, no major differences were found between groups. It was revealed that both the women participating in the study and those from the control group were at a similar risk of separation.

In other words, exposure to IVF did not increase the likelihood of divorce.

“Our results will be reassuring for couples who have had or are contemplating IVF,” says Dr. Martins.

Stress could consolidate relationships

“This significant interaction between [fertility treatment] status and common children suggests that the risk of breakup is mainly influenced by childlessness,” Dr. Martins says.

The researchers acknowledge that infertility, failed treatments, and exposure to procedures that do not guarantee positive results increase psychological impact. At the same time, they suggest that learning to overcome these obstacles might, in fact, consolidate relationships.

“We also know that despite all the strain that this infertility can bring, going through [fertility treatments] can actually bring benefit to a couple’s relationship, because it forces them to improve communication and coping strategies,” they say.

Dr. Martins and colleagues expressed their confidence in the reliability of their results, mentioning the large population sample, the long time period covered by their study, and official, trustworthy sources for their main data. They are hopeful that their research could help childless couples considering IVF.

Learn how a century-old procedure could bring new hope to infertile couples.

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