women and infertility experience:a case study in tehran

in some traditional societies including iran, birth giving is an element of women’s identity and status, also having a child is looked as a source of women’s power in the family and society. therefore infertility typically can be considered as womanly problem. consequently infertile women face more family and social problems than infertile men. this study is to examine the conditions of these women as well as the effects of infertility on different aspects of their lives. the necessary data for this study have been collected through qualitative method and deploying in-depth interview with 30 infertile women in tehran. this study has provided profound perception about the social and cultural conditions of infertile women in the society. the result of research showed that infertility can bring a great deal of problems of women even where the cause of infertility attached to men rather than women. in this case where men in denial of their problem, women are threatened to go along with divorce and leave their home. promoting public knowledge on infertility could save the infertile women against several problems facing, and eventually could contribute the family's health and stability.