Although infertility is a highly stressful experience, there is very little evidence that infertility can be caused by stress. In rare cases, high levels of stress in women can change hormone levels and cause irregular ovulation. Some studies have shown that high stress levels may also cause fallopian tube spasm in women and decreased sperm production in men. Infertile couples experience chronic stress each month, first hoping that they will conceive and then dealing with the disappointment if they do not. Why Infertility is Stressful When diagnosed with infertility, many couples may no longer feel in control of their bodies or their life plan.
Infertility can be a major crisis because the important life goal of parenthood is threatened.
Most couples are accustomed to planning their lives. Experience has shown them that if they work hard at something, they can achieve it. With infertility, this may not be the case. Infertility testing and treatments can be physically, emotionally, and financially stressful. A couple's intimacy is often reduced by the infertility experience which further contributes to increased stress levels.