Infertile Women's Perceptions of Infertility: A Phenomenological Study Based on Metaphor Analysis

Background: Infertility is an increasing health problem which affects 10-15% of couples across the world. Infertility can cause various psychosocial problems such as stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, social isolation and stigmatization during the diagnosis and treatment process. Objective: The study was designed to reveal what kinds of cognitive images (metaphors) women produce in defining infertility, why they produce them and whether the metaphors produced by them differ depending on their professional culture. Methods: This study is a qualitative research carried out based on metaphor analysis in phenomenology design. The study was conducted on 15 participants. The data were collected by the researcher between May-July 2019. Results: The metaphors revealed by participants on what infertility meant to them, according to their professional culture, included dry and fruitless tree, a defective human, cube, cactus and rose, empty tin can, hope and snowdrop, orzo, parasite, national lottery ticket, stock market, figures, surprise egg, bird, a slowly filled lake, and a disease that is very difficult to treat. Conclusion: Metaphors reflect the beliefs, values and norms of individuals. According to the findings, we can understand and comment on infertile women's perceptions regarding infertility and what infertility means to them.