An Ethnography on Joys and Sorrows of Women Undergoing Infertility Treatment in Korea

This study aims to explore and understand experiences of women in Korea, who wanted children, but could not easily have them. It was motivated by the need to develop an effective nursing intervention for women undergoing infertility treatment under Korean sociocultural background. The informants consisted of nine married women who are diagnosed infertile and pursuing medical intervention. This study collected data through in-depth interviews and participant observations. The ethnographical analysis method, proposed by Spradley, was used to analyze these data. Consequently, infertility treatment was experienced as "getting rid of stigma of deficient women". This cultural theme can be divided into the following four categories: 'turning into life of a loser', 'doing homework to be recognized for my existence', 'the ambivalence about infertility treatment', 'positioning the value of being myself'. It was suggested that not only nursing in hospitals but also government's policy and social supports should be operated for infertility problem from the women's point of views in order to promote physical, mental, and socio-cultural health of women who are undergoing infertility treatment in Korean society, nursing studies should pay attend.