Reliability and Validity of the Persian Infertility Stigma Scale (ISS) in Infertility women

Aime: Based on American Practice Committee for Medicine of Reproduction, infertility is a defined situation in which couples fail to get pregnant in 12 months after appropriate, unprotected intercourse or sperm donor. Even though experiencing infertility could be different for infertile and healthy people, but this can affect the couple as a whole and brings about them certain challenges.
The current study was descriptive-correlation. One hundred and sixty six infertile women were selected using purposive-voluntary sampling method and via interviews from Jahad Daneshgahi Infertility Treatment Center of Khuzestan. They filled out the Infertility Stigma Scale, Rosenberg Self-esteem, General self-efficacy Beliefs and Self-Criticism. Data analysis was done using confirmatory factor analysis and fitness indices and via Amos and SPSS-21.
The findings showed that the 4-factor model of the Infertility Stigma Scale with 3 modified indices fits population. Also, Cronbach's alpha coefficient of whole the scale and the fitted factors were acceptable, re-test coefficient of the scale with 1 month interval was 0.58 and its convergent validity coefficient with Rosenberg Self-esteem and General Self-efficacy Scales and its divergent validity with Self-criticism Scale were statistically significant (p Given the appropriate validity and reliability of the scale, it can be used for research and therapeutic activities among this type of population and in research and therapeutic centers of infertility.