determination infertility-related stress among women attending an infertility center: a cross-sectional study

Infertility is a difficult experience that can greatly impact a woman's mental, emotional, and thus, physical wellbeing. the study aimed to assess the infertility-related stress among women attending an infertility center and the associated socio-demographic characteristics. a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at kamal al-samarrai hospital for fertility and infertility in baghdad from november 2023 to november 2024 to investigate infertility-related stress among 385 women diagnosed with infertility. data were collected through interviews using the modified infertility-related stress questionnaire, and validity and reliability were established through expert ratings and a pilot study. statistical analysis was performed using ibm spss 20.0, employing techniques such as pearson correlation, regression, and kruskal-wallis assessments. the results indicate that the majority (97.1%) reported moderate infertility-related stress, with an average stress rating of 92.96. an inverse relationship was observed between age and infertility-related stress, indicating that stress tends to decrease with age (r= -0.151, p=0.003). additionally, a statistical analysis showed that infertility-related stress levels differed significantly based on education level (p=0.010) and monthly income (p=0.016). the study found mild stress among women with infertility, especially younger, less educated, and lower-income women. the study recommends less expensive counseling, advanced fertility resources, and public awareness to reduce stigma and help affected women improve their health.