STIGMA AND IN VITRO FERTILIZATION: PERCEPTION OF WOMEN WITH IVF EXPERIENCE

Couples and individuals involved in the IVF process are faced with numerous challenges. One of the challenges is coping with stigma, which is especially prevalent in those societies in which the significance of procreation is emphasized. This paper will present the results of qualitative research on stigma perception – how women with IVF experience perceive and interpret the stigma related to IVF. 11 women were interviewed and the sample was provided in collaboration with the “Šansa za roditeljstvo” Association. The data were processed using thematic analysis. The respondents recognize that there is a stigma related to IVF, as well as a possible risk for their children who were conceived in this way being exposed to stigmatization. All the respondents live in big cities, which probably contributes to less exposure to stigma and a greater willingness to talk about this topic, while the respondents emphasized that stigmatization is much greater in smaller communities. Education and being well informed about IVF are recognized as possible ways of crossing the path from stigmatization to ‘normalization’ and greater acceptance of IVF. The research has provided initial insights into stigma perception and experience of individuals and couples involved in the IVF process. The results indicate that it is necessary to introduce systematic and continuous support in this field.

SOCIAL SUPPORT AND RELATIONSHIP SATISFACTION AS PREDICTORS OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT IN INFERTILE WOMAN DURING IVF TREATMENT

Infertility is a medical problem, but it can have significant consequences for mental health. Emotional problems caused by infertility are very common, so infertility can be called a life crisis. Therefore, it is very important to identify protective and risk factors that would determine the psychological adjustment to infertility. The aim of this study was to examine the differences in perceived social support, relationship satisfaction, and positive and negative affect between women undergoing IVF treatment and women who do not have fertility problems. The research also aims to examine whether perceived social support and relationship satisfaction were significant predictors of positive and negative affect in both groups. The study included 292 women – 163 who were undergoing the IVF treatment at the time of assessment and 129 without fertility problems who made up the control group. The following instruments were applied: the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Relationship Satisfaction Scale, and the Serbian Inventory of Affect based on PANAS. The results show statistically significant differences between the examined groups in the level of negative affect, which is more pronounced in the group of women undergoing IVF treatment. Regarding positive affect, there is a trend of a more frequent experience of positive emotions in the women from the control group. Perceived social support and relationship satisfaction are significant predictors of both positive and negative affect for the women undergoing IVF treatment. As for the control group, the results of the regression analysis show that perceived social support and relationship satisfaction are significant predictors of negative affect, while in the case of positive affect, relationship satisfaction stands out as a significant predictor. The results indicate that perceived social support and relationship satisfaction can be important protective factors when it comes to psychological adjustment to infertility, which can serve as a guideline for mental health professionals who work with infertile couples.

CHILDBIRTH POSTPONEMENT AND AGE-RELATED INFERTILITY IN SERBIA

Childbirth postponement has been a widely discussed topic since the 1990s, and was pushed to the top of the demographic agenda with the emergence of the Second Demographic Transition (SDT) paradigm. Mechanisms of childbirth postponement mostly explained by economists or sociologists were understood as rational-based decisions of individuals (or couples) trying to cope with the requirements of modern society. These mechanisms explained by income and consumption rationale (Becker, Modigliani), or by liberal and postmodern values (Van de Kaa, Lestheage), barely mention the physiological limitations of the individual choice. These limitations given by the human species reproductive span, with no exception, affect everyone trying to make an optimal reproductive choice. There are two main effects of fertility postponement on births and fertility rates. The first effect arises when couples postpone childbearing to a later age during a certain period and fewer births take place than in the absence of such postponement – the ‘tempo effect’. The second is a negative effect of fertility postponement on completed fertility and increased childlessness attributable to the age-related increase in infertility. This second negative effect in particular is our field of interest. The decline in cohort fertility due to postponement has been mostly studied using data on age at first birth and subsequent fertility, as well as models of fecundity, pregnancy loss and time to conception by age, which we will try to apply to the period data. Using period data, we will try to quantify the potential number of births that would occur in the absence of childbirth postponement in Serbia during the past two decades.

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO BETTER ADAPTATION TO INFERTILITY

Ever since the importance of the psychological aspects of infertility was recognized, researchers have been trying to define adaptation to this non-developmental crisis. Lately, more popular research has been concerned with the question of which factors contribute to better adaptation, rather than what that adaptation is. The majority of these studies are carried out with women who still face infertility, while the women who became parents after facing this crisis are included in just a few studies. Accordingly, the main aim of this research was to examine the opinion on the factors contributing to better adaptation to infertility, as well as the differences in opinion between women who took on the parental role after coping with infertility and those who did not. For that purpose, the Infertility Adaptation Factors Questionnaire was applied on a sample of 192 respondents. The questionnaire consists of 23 items, with four different factors. In their opinion, among the examined factors, the most important is togetherness and intimacy between partners, which is statistically more important than resources, social support and importance of the parental role, the least important factor in this study. There are no significant differences between those who became parents and those who are still dealing with infertility.

CANCER, FERTILITY, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS

The number of young women treated for cancer who want to give birth is increasing, due to postponing pregnancy for older age. On the other hand, the disease is more often diagnosed in the early stage, when conservative treatment is much more successful, even in gynecological cancer. Most young women diagnosed with cancer can expect to live for decades after treatment, which makes many life issues, such as future fertility, increasingly important. This has led to the separation of Oncofertility as a new field in oncology, which includes all procedures for the treatment of malignant disease with the aim of preserving fertility, but without compromising the oncological outcome. And while the problem of fertility may not be a priority at the time of diagnosis, over time it becomes more important. Infertility resulting from cancer treatment has a major impact on quality of life. The turmoil experienced by women who are simultaneously faced with cancer and possible loss of fertility leave emotional consequences, especially if the localization of the disease directly affects the reproductive organs. Coping not just with medical issues, but with two psychological traumas at the same time increases susceptibility to distress. Helping to preserve the quality of life and the psychological aspect of caring for patients with malignant diseases who want to preserve the possibility of childbirth should become an indispensable part of treatment. Recognizing and managing negative emotions in cancer patients is a priority that aims to improve their quality of life.

LIVED EXPERIENCES OF WOMAN IN RELATION TO INFERTILITY – A REVIEW OF THE QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

In this article, we have analyzed the experiences of women with infertility. We were interested in what we can learn about their feelings, thoughts and problems by analyzing the results obtained in qualitative research. We analyzed 10 qualitative studies dealing with infertile women. Using the thematic analysis, we identified seven core themes: Motherhood, Stories of Infertility, All Colors of Feelings, Changes in Identity, Complexity of Partnership, Social Environment (Social Support), Coping Strategies. Each selected core theme includes a number of subthemes. The article explains in detail each selected theme, and their justification is supported by appropriate quotations.

THE PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF INFERTILITY

Editorial: The Psychosocial Aspects of Infertility

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AS MODERN CURRICULUM INNOVATION IN SERBIA, MONTENEGRO AND CROATIA

Education for sustainable development, as an imperative of this day and age, has become an integral part of the curriculum in many education systems. The focus of this paper is education for sustainable development in Montenegro, Croatia and Serbia, with a particular emphasis on the goals and objectives of education for sustainable development. After presenting the specifics of sustainable development at the primary and secondary level of education in these countries, a comparative analysis of learning goals and objectives was conducted between the curriculum of the elective course Education for Sustainable Development in Serbia, interdisciplinary area Education for Sustainable Development in Montenegro and interdisciplinary topic Sustainable Development in Croatia. This comparative analysis established that the goals of education for sustainable development in all three cases are aimed at developing an active and responsible attitude of students towards other people, the environment, taking into account the future perspective, and that the goals and objectives of education for sustainable development in Montenegro and Croatia are more extensive and meaningful compared to the goals and objectives of the elective course Education for Sustainable Development in Serbia. Even though the goals and objectives of the new elective course, interdisciplinary topics and interdisciplinary areas specifically focused on sustainable development represent curriculum innovation in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia, defining them is only a starting point for activities aimed at educating students to live and work in a modern society that is required to become sustainable.

AESTHETIC EDUCATION AND THE AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE OF MUSIC IN NEW MODES OF TEACHING: CAN MUSIC BE TAUGHT ONLINE?

The paper focuses on the aspects of aesthetic education and aesthetic experience of music under the conditions of online teaching of music due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The new mode of teaching affected the teaching process, particularly in the field of performance arts which involves direct experiencing of music, stage performances and direct cooperation of musicians. Aside from certain advantages, mostly regarding the organization of teaching and more time for practice, the results show that students were for the most part deprived of a comprehensive experience of music during the teaching process, and particularly of a specific aesthetic experience. A general conclusion is drawn that direct contact between the student and the professor in face-to-face teaching practice is an irreplaceable segment of music education.

GRATITUDE AND LONELINESS AS PREDICTORS OF SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING

The main aim of this research is to analyze the role of loneliness found in previous studies as well as to examine the role of gratitude as one of the main factors contributing to subjective well-being. The sample is a convenience sample and consists of 219 respondents (78.99% women). The instruments used in this research were: the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults (SELSA; di Tomasso & Spinner, 1993), the Life satisfaction scale (SWLS; Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985), PANAS (Watson, Clark, & Tellegan, 1988) and The Gratitude Questionnaire (McCullough et al., 2002). The data were analyzed using a hierarchical linear regression where the criterion variables were components of subjective well-being, the predictor in the first step gratitude, and predictors in the second step three types of loneliness. The results of this research show that the only statistically significant predictor of positive affects is gratitude (model 1: β=.281, p<.01; model 2: β=.243. p<.01). Gratitude and loneliness explain 30.1% of the variance of positive affect. When it comes to negative affect, the first model explains 12.6% of the variance, while the second model explains 21.9% of the total variance. Only the second model is statistically significant (p<.05). The only statistically significant predictor is loneliness in the family (β=.143. p=.049). Finally, when it comes to life satisfaction, the first model explains 23.5% of the variance while the second model explains 38.6% of the total variance. When loneliness is added in the second model, an additional 15.1% of the statistically significant explained variance appears (p<.01). The best predictor in this regression analysis is social loneliness (β=-.297, p<.01). Based on these results we can conclude that both gratitude and loneliness are important variables for subjective well-being – but that some are more important for some and some for other aspects of subjective well-being.