[Feelings and emotions in women treated for infertility]

The aim of this study was an assessment of women's moods and emotions during infertil-ity treatment. Sixty married women diagnosed and treated for primary infertility at Division of Infertility and Reproductive Endocrinology Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics University of Poznan Medical Sciences from January to April 2003 were included in this study. The average age of women was 28.5 years. Control group consisted of 30 female students at similar age, single, not planning pregnancy in the nearest future. Depression was assessed using Beck scale. The special questionnaire was made to evaluate women's different psychological features connected with infertility. The interviews had a personal character and every question was filled in the questionnaire by the investigator. The first reaction most patients experienced when they found out about infertility was: 1) astonishment 2) sadness 3) anger, and similar was the opinion from the control group. Both the patients and the control group consider that having a baby is: 1) goal of their lives 2) sense of marriage 3) providing a woman with a sense of fulfillment. More than 25% of both groups of women think that infertility is the most important problem for their couples. Economic difficulties seem to be the biggest problem for patients during their treatment of infertility. What is very interesting patients average Beck scale depression score was significantly higher that of control respondents (8,6 points for patients and 4,4 for control group).