Introduction: The definition of infertility says that a couple is infertile if a woman does not conceive after twelve months of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. Infertility includes terms from reduced fertility to complete sterility. The inability to conceive in one of the greatest hardships that can befall a human. Purpose: The purpose of the thesis is to describe how infertility affects the psychological state of the couple, the aspect of women and men, and to present the response of people to infertility and their knowledge. Methods: We used the qualitative research method which was used to review Slovenian and English literature. The data were obtained from database sources (Science Direct, PubMed, Cohrane Library, Wiley Online Library, Google scholar). We used the following keywords: infertility and psychological aspects of infertility, infertility treatment, psychological support of infertile couples. The time frame of literature is from 1999 to 2021. Results: In total we analysed 10 articles. Research has shown that in addition to the divorce and death of a loved one, infertility is described as one of the most stressful situations a couple can have. In infertile women, the rate of depression can be as high as in those with severe illness. Fewer studies have been done on male response to infertility, but they show that the men experience the situation as less stressful than women. In addition to grief and distress, couples with infertility have been found to have high levels of symptoms of depression and anxiety. Temporary sexual dysfunction associated with the diagnosis or treatment of infertility is common among couples suffering from infertility, with women suffering more often than men. Knowledge about infertility is a key factor that can help with treatment. Discussion and conclusion: Infertility, which is a milestone and one of the greatest hardships in life, is faced by many couples around the world. Coping with infertility is often very complicated as partners often have to discontinue and change the family plan. Lack of recognition of grief in couples also occurs in many cases. As parenthood is being postponed to later stages of life, infertility has become an increasingly common problem. When dealing with infertility, a couple experiences many different emotions. Having the right support makes the emotions easier to deal with which consequently increases the quality of life. We need to talk about infertility, it must not remain a taboo topic.
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