Image by Africa Images
Medically assisted reproduction (MAR), which includes procedures such as in vitro fertilization or intrauterine insemination, is necessary for many couples to start or expand their families [1]. However, sexual well-being often gets worse for couples seeking MAR, with both men and women reporting high levels of distressing sexual problems [2]. The quality of a couple’s relationship during treatment is connected to how partners handle stress during this time [3,4]. However, it’s not clear if certain aspects of sexual experiences affect how couples handle stress during MAR.
What did we want to know?
The study looked at how sexual growth beliefs (believing that sexual challenges can be worked through) and sexual destiny beliefs (believing that sexual challenges are a sign that partners are not compatible with each other) were connected to positive and negative coping patterns as a couple throughout 1 year of MAR.
Positive coping as a couple means that partners handle stress as a team, and show empathy and support for each other. Negative coping as a couple means that partners are uninterested in or avoid each other’s struggles.
What did we do?
Researchers recruited 219 couples where partners were:
Each partner in the couple did online surveys over one year. They did an initial survey, one 6 months later, and another 1 year later.
What did we find?
How Sexual Beliefs Predicted Coping:
People who reported higher-than-usual levels of sexual growth beliefs in their initial survey (compared to what they usually reported on average) reported lower-than-usual negative coping patterns as a couple 6 months later.
When one partner reported higher-than-usual sexual destiny beliefs at six months, both partners reported higher-than-usual negative coping patterns as a couple at 12 months.
Individuals with consistently higher sexual destiny beliefs reported greater overall negative coping patterns as a couple.
It was inconclusive whether sexual growth or sexual destiny beliefs predicted using positive coping patterns as a couple more often; they only predicted using negative patterns less frequently.
How Coping Predicted Sexual Beliefs:
Higher- than-usual levels of negative coping patterns as a couple at 6 months predicted lower-than-usual levels of sexual growth beliefs at 12 months.
It was inconclusive whether positive coping as a couple predicted sexual growth or destiny beliefs.
What does this mean?
Couple members who believe that sexual challenges are a sign of incompatibility between partners may be more likely to handle stress during MAR by showing disinterest or avoidance towards each other. Also, handling stress during MAR negatively as a couple may be linked to believing that sexual challenges are a sign partners are not meant to be together. Avoiding unhelpful sexual destiny beliefs could help couples better handle the stress of MAR as a team.
