Infertility and the Sexual Health of the Family

Infertility, which affects an estimated 20% of couples of childbearing age, has been investigated from a number of different perspectives. A great deal of attention has been paid to the sexual health and functioning of infertile couples, but the long-term ramifications of infertility on the sexual health of other family members has received little attention. For families with a history of infertility, sex often has an altered meaning, value, and reality. This may be the result of sexual dysfunction, nonsexual reproduction, or painful identity issues that alter self-concepts. Such experiences cannot help but have an impact on children raised in these families, especially if parents with a history of infertility are not helped to realize the import of their sexuality and sexual functioning on the healthy development of their children.