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Guidelines for Counselling in Infertility

 

In September 1999 delegates from seven countries came together to discuss counselling issues in infertility. Discussions in this and subsequent meetings produced a document entitled "Guidelines for Counselling in Infertility" which aimed to describe key issues in the counselling of individuals using assisted reproduction. The Guidelines were intended for both medical and mental health professionals to help maintain good practice with regard to psychosocial care for infertile couples. The Guidelines have been accepted by the Executive Committee of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology and have been published in the journal Human Reproduction (May/June, 2001).

The full text of these guidelines can be downloaded in pdf format - file is 452k

 

Table of Contents

 

1 Introduction (Prof. Dr. H. Kentenich)

 

2 Fundamental issues in counselling

2.1 Counselling within infertility (Prof. Dr. B. Strauss & Dr. J. Boivin)

2.2 Who should counsel? (E. Corrigan, Dr. K. D. Daniels and P. Thorn)

2.3 Who is likely to need counselling? (Dr. J Boivin)

2.4 The role of the physician in counselling (Prof. Dr. H. Kentenich)

 

3 Counselling in infertility treatment (Prof. Dr. J. Bitzer)

 

4 Special questions in counselling

4.1 Pregnancy after infertility treatment (P. Baetens)

4.2 Multiple pregnancies (Dr. A. McWhinnie)

4.3 Facing the end of medical treatment (Dr. Dipl. Psych. T. Wischmann)

4.4 Sexuality (Dipl. Psych. J. Darwish)

4.5 Patients in migration (Prof. Dr. H. Kentenich)

 

5 Special topics (third-party reproduction)

5.1 Donor insemination (Dr. K. D. Daniels)

5.2 Oocyte donation (P. Baetens)

5.3 Embryo donation (Dr. T. C. Appleton)

5.4 Surrogacy (Dr. T. C. Appleton)

5.5 Adoption (J. Baron)

5.6 Reproductive services with lesbian couples (P. Baetens)

5.7 Reproductive services with single women without partners (Dr. J. Boivin)

 

6 Additional types of psychosocial services

6.1 Written psychosocial information and telephone counselling (Dr. J. Boivin)

6.2 Self-help groups (P. Thorn)

6.3 Professionally facilitated group work (P. Thorn)

 

7 Summary (Dr. J. Boivin)