Meaning of repeated in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this study was to identify meaning of repeated in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET).
Method
This study design was an inductive-descriptive study. The subjects of this study were 5 women who intended to undergo infertility treatment 3 times or more, and who had never successfully taken pregnancy to full term, giving birth to a live, healthy child. Data was collected by semi-structured interviews about the women's feelings regarding IVF-ET. Data was analyzed by structural content analysis, and meaning of repeatedly undergoing IVF-ET.
Results
We can classify meaning of IVF-ET for women who repeatedly undergo this treatment into two patterns : “Having emotional confliction when continuing IVF-ET,” and “Having conviction when continuing IVF-ET.” In the first case women had two minds about continuing or not ; in the second case, there was no doubt.
Three cases, which had emotional conflict when continuing IVF-ET connote “transfiguration of their value”. Two cases, which had conviction when continuing IVF-ET connote “a secondary purpose for their medical treatment”.
Conclusion
“Transfiguration of their value” means that women who infertile put their own values spontaneously as most important, by daily point of view not by the medical point of view. “Secondarization of their medical treatment” means that they continue IVF-ET because of their daily point of view, and put their own values foremost which is important to their own life.