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This study aims to investigate how the open discussion of infertility-related topics on public social media platforms contributes to the well-being of individuals affected by infertility.

For this study, the authors used a netnographic approach to analyze 69 YouTube videos (>21 h of raw data) produced by infertility vloggers and more than 40,000 user comments.

The authors identify two ways in which infertility patients benefit from public discussions of the topic on social media: through watching videos and engaging in discussions, patients satisfy their infertility-related needs (i.e. the need for information, emotional support and experience sharing); and through reaching people who are not affected by infertility, vloggers help to de-taboo the issue as well as sensitize and educate society.

To providers of tabooed services, this study’s findings emphasize the potential of incorporating social media in the consumer support strategy.

This research highlights the value of the public discussion of infertility-related topics on social media platforms for consumers affected by the issue.

In this study, the public discussion of infertility-related topics through video blogs is presented as a valuable tool to enhance the well-being of individuals confronted with infertility as these vlogs satisfy related needs of the consumers and contribute to de-tabooing.

The aim of this study is to investigate the gender inequalities in perceived stress and the influencing factors in infertile couples in Iranian society.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on infertile couples who were referring to Kurdistan Infertility Diagnosis and Treatment Medical Center in 2019. Demographic and clinical information questionnaire, Newton's Infertility perceived stress questionnaire, Rosenberg's standard self-confidence questionnaire and the multidimensional scale of social support were used. Multiple linear logistic models were also used.

A total of 560 couples (1,120 people) participated in the study. The average perceived infertility-related stress, self-esteem scores and social support and social-emotional loneliness were 173.95 ± 41.87, 13.99 ± 2.29 and 27.81 ± 7.33, respectively, which were significantly different scores across infertility cause and sex (P < 0.05). Males compared to females had lower perceived infertility-related stress (169.93 ± 42.51 vs 177.97 ± 40.86, P = 0.001) and self-esteem scores (14.33 ± 2.29 vs 13.66 ± 2.24, P < 0.001) and social support and social-emotional loneliness (32.92 ± 9.31 vs 30.94 ± 9.04, P < 0.001). The partners who reported themselves as infertile, compared significantly higher in perceived infertility-related stress than those who reported their spouse being infertile (194.24 ± 35.33 vs 141.90 ± 39.28), lower self-esteem scores (12.77 ± 2.21 vs 13.94 ± 1.56) and social support and social-emotional loneliness score (27.81 ± 7.33 vs 30.11 ± 7.70). Also, after taking potential confounders into account with increase in each score of self-esteem, 12.19 units of stress decreases (P < 0.001, 95% CI: 11.40–12.99) and with increase in each score of social support and social-emotional loneliness, 3.45 units of stress decreases (P < 0.001, 95% CI: 3.28–3.63).

There is perceived stress among infertile couples, and this rate is higher among infertile people and women. Therefore, it seems that specific intervention programs for infertile couples should be implemented based on the results of this study, and their stress levels in a way that self-esteem and support for both partners be increased and the perceived stress among women and infertile individuals be decreased.

One in six people globally are affected by infertility, and many turn to fertility treatment in a bid to have a child(ren). While many countries offer work-related legislative protections and provisions for those who are successful in conceiving a child, in the form of maternity and paternity-related supports and protection again discrimination – the same cannot be said for those struggling to conceive. There are similar inequalities when it comes to workplace policy and support. Drawing on data from our two-year research study on “complex fertility journeys” and employment, this chapter sets out the work-life challenges that arise when individuals find themselves navigating the considerable “reproductive work” of fertility treatment alongside the demands of paid employment, and how affected employees respond. It also touches on the challenges experienced by line managers tasked with offering support. The chapter concludes with implications for practice in terms of making organizations more “fertility friendly,” which should extend beyond support for attending fertility treatment appointments to include awareness raising, manager training, and support for the varied outcomes of treatment cycles, including involuntary childlessness.

The study aims to determine the relationship between emotional maturity and domestic violence in infertile women.

The cross-sectional study was conducted on 184 infertile women. Demographic questionnaire, Emotional Maturity Scale and domestic violence questionnaire were used to collect data. The Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the data.

More than 50% of the women in the study experienced domestic violence, and about the same percentage of them had unstable emotional maturity. The total score of domestic violence and its types were significantly related to the women’s emotional maturity (P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, the significant relationship was found between domestic violence with Spouse's education level (primary/secondary) [OR = 0.25 (0.09–0.66)] and emotional maturity (unstable) [OR = 3.59 (1.83–7.02)].

The overall prevalence of infertility in Iran was 7% in 2021. Furthermore, although infertility is a problem among couples, most of its social burden lies with women. In a number of developing countries, as well as in Iran, childbearing is perceived as a social value for married women. Therefore, infertile women are at risk for depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, dissatisfaction and reduced quality of life.

This study found that half of the surveyed women experienced domestic violence. Women’s emotional immaturity, as well as their spouses’ lower education level and type of occupation, were highly correlated with women’s experience of domestic violence. To help prevent domestic violence among couples, there should be couple training classes to improve women’s emotional maturity.”

The vast bulk of the discourse surrounding reproduction is centered on women. Yet, the rate of childlessness in the United Kingdom (and much of the world) is higher among men. Recently, there has been an increased focus on fatherhood and fathering in academia, policy, practice, and the general media. However, data on men who do not become fathers has been excluded and their experiences minimized and dismissed. Infertility research has shown that failure to achieve the high social status of parenthood has the similar effects on mental and physical health as a diagnosis of life-threatening illness. In this chapter, I will draw on two qualitative research studies to show how not achieving the pronatalist ideal of parenthood impacts on men’s identity, sense of self, behaviors, health and well-being and social networks across the life course. The workplace is an arena where people who do not fit socio-cultural norms and expectations are overtly and/or covertly stigmatized and discriminated against through policy, working practices and everyday interaction between groups and individuals. I will argue that failing to acknowledge men’s experience of non-reproduction has a significant impact on both individuals and institutions alike.

The aim of this article is to review the literature on fertility tourism in terms of social policy implications. There has been a global growth in interest in fertility tourism, especially amongst these in developed countries travelling to developing countries for fertility needs. Due to women's increased involvement in the workforce and changing societal norms, the age at which females start having children has risen resulting in a need for many to seek fertility help. These developments have led to a growth in fertility tourism and related services.

The authors undertake a systematic literature review on fertility tourism to identify cognate research themes that relate to social policies such as assisted reproduction facilities, medical tourism and changing societal attitudes.

The findings of the study have important implications for social policy particularly regarding the tourism and health industry, practitioners and policymakers. This involves focussing on new geographic regions that are underrepresented in current research but have a high interest in fertility tourism. Currently much of the research is centred around western contexts but as evident in our review newly emerging markets in countries that have high infertility rates requires further attention. In addition, the authors provide directions for future research avenues that focus on how to evaluate changing social policies with regards to reproductive choices.

Whilst there has been much discussion in the media about fertility tourism there is limited knowledge about social policies related to human reproductive systems, so this article is amongst the first to discuss societal implications.

Childbearing via in vitro fertilization (IVF) was taboo for a long time in the Philippines despite being available in the Philippines since 1996 and the signing of the Republic Health Law back in 2013 (Dupont, 2013). In this chapter, the author examines how IVF is imagined, presented, and accepted in the Philippine context by looking at selected case studies of Filipino influencers who opted to bear children via IVF. The author explores these through analyses of selected YouTube videos and Facebook posts through the lens of visibility labor which refers to the activities done by influencers to “the work enacted to flexibly demonstrate gradients of self-conspicuousness in digital or physical spaces depending on intention or circumstance for favourable ends” (Abidin, 2016). The author also examines the comments sections of these selected videos and posts through web scraping to get a glimpse of the reception to the journeys and struggles of these public figures. The author argues that through the visibility labor of influencers, the phenomenon of childbearing via IVF is not only promoted as a viable, if not acceptable procreative process, but also perpetuated as an in/accessible procedure in the Philippines.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of climate smart agriculture knowledge transfers. As well as to examine the application of climate-smart agricultural (CSA) knowledge such as conservation agriculture, irrigation systems, integrated soil fertility management, bioenergy and agroforestry by smallholder farmers in Kenya.

The study applied comparative research methodology to compare climate smart agriculture knowledge application between smallholder participants in farmer field schools (FFS) and no FFS participation. This study used household data from 759 randomly selected rural agricultural households in three counties in Kenya. The study applied multivariate probit model to estimate CSA knowledge application by farmers who participated in field trainings and non-FFS participation farmers.

This study established that climate smart agriculture knowledge transfer through FFS increases farmers’ application of critical aspects of climate smart agriculture knowledge practices such as irrigation system, conservation agriculture and soil and water conservation. Such aspects have been noted as effective interventions against adverse climate change effects such as persistent droughts and flooding and soil infertility. Further findings illustrated that farmers who received CSA knowledge transfers applied agricultural insurance to mitigate rising climatic risks on their farms. Knowledge transfer interventions targeting affordability through subsidizing agricultural insurance are probable and more cost-effective measures that can be used to reduce smallholder farmers’ exposure to climate change-related risks.

This study provides information that was previously unknown about climate smart agriculture knowledge transfers and application among farmers who participated in field trainings and non-FFS participation farmers by using empirical data.

PANK and PUNK are two acronyms for ‘Professional Aunt/Uncle with No Kids’. The former was created in 2007 by Melanie Notkin, a Canadian specialising in marketing, to refer to those women without children who are involved in raising their niece/nephews. They can be ‘by blood’, with whom they share family ties, or ‘by choice’, that is, sons and daughters of friends. A PANK or PUNK can be couples, singles or those who do not want to or cannot have child/children on their own but again who love children and want to spend time with them, so who spare special time to look after them, especially on a vacation time. They share some common characteristics such as helping the niece/nephew financially, influencing them, being well-connected and researchers, being devoted nesters, and enjoying travelling with their nieces and nephews while contributing to their personal developments.

This study aims to understand how midwifery students view ethical rights concerning the usage of reproductive technologies.

A series of focus groups were conducted with midwifery students who were asked to discuss four novel scenarios highlighting some of the most controversial issues on the ethics of assisted reproductive technologies. The sample consisted of third-year students studying at the Department of Midwifery of a university in the fall semester of the 2020–2021 academic year. In total, 60 students aged between 20 and 23 participated in the study (mean age 21.5 years).

Four scenarios that may be encountered in the use of assisted reproductive techniques were presented to the students. These scenarios were about IVF treatment, using the preimplantation gender identification technique, surrogate mother and using frozen zygotes. Four themes were identified from the analysis of the focus group data related to all four scenarios. These themes were: female reproduction, sex selection, surrogacy and reproductive cloning.

This study reveals what midwifery students consider essential components of assisted reproduction techniques, focusing on the professional attributes of shared decision-making. The results suggest that student midwives are sensitive to the range of ethical dilemmas associated with the increased use of technology in human reproduction, and construct distinct bound arise in relation to what is considered of benefit or good to the mother, parents, the child and to society. They also expressed their opposition to the excessive use of technological intervention, preferring instead to maintain a more naturalistic approach to reproduction.