Spiritual Strategies for Infertile People During Assisted Reproductive Treatment
Journal of Pizhūhish dar dīn va Salāmat (i.e., Research on Religion & Health),
Vol. 12 No. 1 (2026),
24 May 2026
,
Page 80-95
https://doi.org/10.22037/jrrh.v12i1.47887
Abstract
Background and Objective: Infertility has increased significantly in recent years, so much so that the World Health Organization has classified it as one of the three health problems in 2021. People show different reactions when faced with the problem of infertility. Sometimes they choose to surrender to the problem, while others end treatment, and sometimes they start whining and lamenting. In some cases, they cope with the problem by resorting to prayer and trust. For this reason, the purpose of the present study is to extract the spiritual and non-spiritual strategies of infertile people during assisted reproductive treatment.
Methods: In the present qualitative study, interviewees were selected through online calls and by visiting some infertility treatment centers (Mam Center, Ibn Sina, Royan, Infertility Clinic of Erfan and Niayesh Hospital) in Tehran. 32 infertile individuals (10 men and 22 women) who had experienced at least one assisted reproductive treatment were subjected to semi-structured interviews until data saturation. The interviews were based on the use of strategies used during and after assisted reproductive treatment. Data analysis was performed using Strauss and Corbin’s method. In the present study, all ethical considerations were observed and the authors reported no conflicts of interest.
Results: The results of data analysis led to extraction of a selected code of spirituality-based strategies, and 4 axial codes including ineffective coping styles (surrender, avoidance, emotional, and superstitious decisions), occupational-educational (adaptability in the job, promotion of career knowledge, educational advancement), improvement of couple relationship (agreement, companionship, and problem solving), and personal excellence (connection to the true source, insight enhancement, promotion of moral virtues, self-care, and elimination of negative characteristics). 16 open codes were also extracted.
Conclusion: According to the results of this study on the strategies of infertile individuals during assisted reproductive treatment, it seems that some of the strategies of the individuals were efficient and some were ineffective, which is why there is a need for problem-solving and decision-making training during the treatment process. As the results of this study show, adopting spiritual strategies and connecting to the source of existence facilitates the tortuous path of treatment.
- Assisted reproductive treatment
- Infertility
- Qualitative research
- Spiritual strategies
How to Cite
References
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