The Effect of Provision of Information Regarding Infertility Treatment Strategies on Anxiety Level of Infertile Couples

Background: Infertility may have many emotional and psychological implications on infertile couples. So far, different methods for reducing anxiety in infertile couples have been evaluated. The goal of this study is to evaluate the effect of provision of information regarding infertility treatment to infertile couples on their anxiety levels. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted as a before and after clinical trial. Forty-two individuals were considered as cases and 40 as controls. In order to evaluate anxiety and depression in participants, the Hamilton Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire was used. The intervention group received information about infertility treatment through a two hour face-to-face meeting and was provided with a brochure. Anxiety level was assessed at the time of admission, immediately after the session and two weeks later. Assessment was performed twice for the control group; once at the time of admission and secondly, two weeks later. Results: Our results show that receiving information about infertility treatment significantly decreases anxiety among infertile couples two weeks post-training. This decline does not have a significant correlation with age, sex, education level of the couple, and neither with the duration nor the cause of infertility. Providing information does not have any significant effect on the rate of depression among couples. Conclusion: It is recommended that provision of information regarding infertility treatment methods should be considered as a means of decreasing anxiety among infertile couples who refer to infertility treatment centers.