Multicultural Considerations in Infertility Counseling

Infertility affects 15% of the world’s population. It is a deeply intimate matter, often deemed as taboo to discuss publically, with pervasive social and psychological consequences. Over the last few decades, research has enlightened our understanding of the biomedical causes and treatment options of infertility and the psychological impact of the experience. However, less attention is given to counseling implications of these psychological studies, not to mention even less consideration of an infertile person or couple’s social context, including the cultural and religious factors. In this article, we aim to impart a comprehensive overview of the multicultural implications in working with clients coping with infertility, including the roles culture and religion play in the etiological interpretations, the experience, and the possible resolutions to infertility. We conclude with tangible counseling implications for professional counselors.