Investigating the Factors Associated With Discontinuation of Infertility Treatments Among Infertile Women With a History of Treatment Failure: A Qualitative Study Publisher



M Ghorbani MARYAM ; Fs Hoseini Fatemeh SADAT ; M Yunesian MASUD ; S Salehin SHAHRBANOO ; Ss Talebi Seyedeh SOLMAZ ; A Keramat AFSANEH
Source: Heliyon Published:2025

Abstract

Problem: Infertility is a phenomenon that affects many couples around the world. Background: Many infertile couples turn to Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) to solve the problem of infertility, but many of them stop their treatment before achieving any results. Aim: The present study was conducted with the aim of explaining the concept of treatment dropout and related causes and factors among infertile couples. Methods: The present qualitative study with thematic analysis was conducted in 2020 on 13 infertile women and 4 experts working at the infertility centers in Qom, Iran. Semi-structured In-depth and key informant interviews were done with the participants to collect the data, which was later analyzed by the Graneheim and Lundman methods. Guba and Lincoln criteria were used to confirm the accuracy and trustworthiness of the data. Findings: Our results showed that three main themes, including “quality of service,”, “physical-emotional effects of infertility and treatment failure,”, and “social effects of infertility and treatment failure,” are the factors that influence the discontinuation of infertility treatments. Discussion: Considering the reasons given by infertile couples for stopping infertility treatments, it seems that supportive interventions should be designed and implemented to encourage them to continue treatment. Conclusion: Improving the quality of infertility centers and reducing the physical, emotional, and social burden of infertility and treatment failure must be considered by policymakers as a priority in planning supportive interventions for infertile couples to encourage them to continue infertility treatments. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.