Exploring the Impact of Time Spent Trying to Conceive Among Black Women: Insights into the Superwoman Schema Open Access
Muhammad, Adil (Spring 2024)
Abstract
Introduction: There are significant challenges of infertility, particularly for Black women who face unique barriers in their journey to parenthood due to systemic injustices and disparities in healthcare access and treatment outcomes. While infertility affects individuals of all backgrounds, Black women confront distinct obstacles compounded by socioeconomic factors, racism, and cultural stigmas. The Superwoman Schema, a framework evaluating Black women’s sociopolitical context, and may shed light on how the intersection of stress, survival, and health impact the experience of infertility. Limited research exists on how the Superwoman Schema is associated with reproductive health, yet it may be a vital and culturally tailored tool for understanding the psychosocial toll of infertility on Black women.
Objective: This study aims to explore the relationship between time spent trying to conceive and the Superwoman Schema in a study population of Black women experiencing infertility.
Methods: A cross-sectional approach was employed to assess the relationship between time spent trying to conceive and the Superwoman Schema (including its 5 subscales). Morehouse School of Medicine researchers conducted a survey targeting African American women in the United States through infertility advocacy groups and affiliated fertility clinics.
Results: A total of 164 participants met inclusion criteria for the study. No statistically significant associations between time trying to conceive and the Superwoman Schema were found. However, the modeling suggests positive associations between the time trying to conceive and composite score, the Obligation to Present an Image of Strength and Resistance to Being Vulnerable. Negative associations are suggested with trying to conceive and the Obligation to Suppress Emotions, Intense Motivation to Succeed and Obligation to Help Others.
Conclusion: The relationships of stress and infertility and the relationship between stress and the Superwoman Schema are well-documented. Despite existing literature providing a potential framework to support the hypothesis, we did not find a statistically significant association between time spent trying to conceive and the Superwoman Schema score in the study population. Understanding the intricate interplay between stress and infertility is pivotal, especially as time trying to conceive is only one aspect of one’s infertility experience. Given the demographic profile of the sample, i.e. relatively high socioeconomic status, there exists a critical gap in understanding all Black women’s psychosocial experience with infertility.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction………………………………………………………..………………...…...1
Methods…….……..……………………………………………….……………....….…..7
Results………………………………………………………………....………….....…….9
Discussion………………………………………………………………………..……….14
Limitations……………………………………………….……………………………….19
Implications and Impact…………………………………….………………………...19
Conclusion………………………………………………..………………………….......21
References……………………………………………..………………………………....22
Appendix……………………………………………………………………………….....28
Directed Acyclic Graph………….………………………………………………….....28
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