Infertility and fertility intentions, desires, and outcomes among US women

Objective: Little is known about how the experience of infertility or identification as someone with infertility shapes women's fertility intentions, desires, or birth outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to help fill this gap in knowledge for fertility-intentions research. Methods: Using dat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Demographic research 2016-10, Vol.35, p.1149-1168
Main Authors: Shreffler, Karina M., Tiemeyer, Stacy, Dorius, Cassandra, Spierling, Tiffany, Greil, Arthur L., McQuillan, Julia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
births
Children
Demography
Desire
Female fertility
Fertility
fertility intentions
Gender equality
Health outcomes
Ideal numbers
Infants
infertility
National Survey of Fertility Barriers (NSFB)
Research Article
Women
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Summary:Objective: Little is known about how the experience of infertility or identification as someone with infertility shapes women's fertility intentions, desires, or birth outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to help fill this gap in knowledge for fertility-intentions research. Methods: Using data from the National Survey of Fertility Barriers (NSFB), we use linear and logistic regression methods to assess how infertility and parity statuses are associated with fertility intentions and desires, as well as how statuses at one point in time predict birth three years later. Results: We find that infertility is associated with lower fertility intentions. Women who have experienced infertility and/or identify as a person with infertility, however, express greater desires to have a baby and a higher ideal number of children. Women who meet the medical criteria for infertility are less likely than fecund women to give birth, despite greater desires. Conclusions: These findings have important theoretical implications for our understanding of the meaning of fertility intentions for those who think their ability to achieve their intentions is uncertain, as well as for empirical research on fertility.
ISSN:1435-9871
2363-7064
1435-9871
DOI:10.4054/DemRes.2016.35.39