Personality and characteristics of couples in infertile marriage

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the basic personality and couple characteristics of men and women from infertile marriages. DESIGN: Research psychodiagnostical study. SETTING: Institute of Sexology, 1st Medical Faculty, Charles University, Prague, Iscare IVF, Prague. METHODS: 38 couples applying for assisted fertilization were psychologically examined by standard psychodiagnostical methods. RESULTS: Men and women from infertile couples displayed moderate anomal behavioral characteristics, men from these couples are more neurotic than general population, women display more anxiety and social desirability. The relations in these marriages are not substantially disturbed and are even less conflictuous and the consistency of the male and female roles is even better than in general population. Men from infertile couples are perceived by themselves as well as by their wives as less masculine. CONCLUSION: In men and women from examined couples there were no serious personality anomalies and the relations in these marriages were not substantially disturbed by infertility.