Exploring the Experiences of Living with Infertility in Menopausal Women in Iran, A Qualitative Study

More than 70 million infertile couples lived in the worldwide. The majority of infertile couples are residents in developing countries. These residents experience more negative consequences of infertility in compared with western societies [1]. Motherhood is an important part of life in nearly all cultures. It is presented as an essential role for all Muslim women, especially Iranian women [2]. Determining the actual global prevalence of infertility is difficult. However, nearly, 80-90% of couples have successfully conceived after 1 year and 95% after 2 years [3], but also, one of four couples is affected by infertility in developing countries [4]. The prevalence of primary and secondary infertility is 0.6% 3.4% and 10.5% respectively [5]. The trends of women infertility have remained similar from 1990 to 2010 and the incidence of infertility is expected to increase to 7.7million by 2025 [4]. In most Islamic societies, childbearing is a religious duty [6] and infertile women face many challenges in their lives. Infertile women are uncomfortable in comparing infertile men [6]. Based the results of studies, there are several consequences of infertility, including: societal repercussions, personal suffering, marital discord, psychological disorders [7,8], sexual dysfunctions [9,10]. In the recent years, the life expectancy has increased due to improve the health, nutrition and health services. So that 5 million postmenopausal women will live in Iran in 2021 [11].