A symposium contains presentations and discussion by 3-4 experts on a particular topic. A discussant integrates and summarizes the papers, develops implications for policy and practice from the research, and facilitates audience discussion.

Papers listed below are included in this session.

Discussant: Nathan Hardy
Chair: David Allsop

Summary
Many couples struggle to maintain positive and fulfilling relationships when crises and difficult circumstances arise. Our symposium will bring attention to the struggles these couples face by exploring sexual and reproductive challenges faced throughout both normative circumstances and extenuating challenges such as pregnancy loss and infertility, and we will discuss strategies for practice to help couples cope and work together to strengthen their relationships. Our symposium authors include those who are experts in sexual and reproductive health and marriage and family therapists. Our symposium objectives include: 1. Promote understanding of circumstances and crises that can impact couples’ sexual relationships and relationship stability. 2. Provide clinical suggestions on how to help couples maintain positive and fulfilling sexual relationships through both normative challenges and crises such as pregnancy loss and infertility. 3. Inform future research and practice on couples' struggles with reproductive and sexual health to enhance long-term relationship stability.

Objectives

• Promote understanding of circumstances and crises that can impact couples’ sexual relationships and relationship stability.
• Provide clinical suggestions on how to help couples maintain positive and fulfilling sexual relationships through both normative challenges and crises such as pregnancy loss and infertility.
• Inform future research and practice on couples' struggles with reproductive and sexual health to enhance long-term relationship stability.

Subject Codes: sexuality, fertility, grief/loss
Population Codes: romantic partners, couples/coupled, U.S.
Method and Approach Codes: latent variable modeling, qualitative methodology, regression: logistic (binary, ordinal, or multinomial)