SEX AND INFERTILITY: LOSS OF SEXUAL INTEREST AND REPRODUCTIVE FUNCTION
In any stressful situation, one of the first casualties is libido and the loss of sexual interest is pretty obvious when all attention is on your reproductive function, so it takes a special effort to keep the romance in the relationship.
His sexuality and self-worth ate challenged, as the distinction between his roles of sperm donor and lover become blurred. I do know of men who find it particularly difficult if they suspect that their partner is initiating the sex only at times when she knows she is ovulating, and resent the loss of spontaneity. It helps to have a sense of humor. Robert said, I’d be in the middle of a meeting and I would get a phone call from Julie to come home; the clinic had called her to say the time was right, so we had to do the deed. My friends at work used to give me heaps. I reckon they were just jealous.’
One woman said, ‘After we made the final decision to stop IVF in one way it was a relief that the pressure’ was off but our sex life disappeared for months. It was like there was no point to it anymore. I had absolutely no libido anyway, and I think that was partly because I was just emotionally exhausted and I was also sick to death of my body being poked and prodded for years. I felt I had been invaded and just needed to have my body to myself for a while.’
*92/17/9*
