The ending of treatment: the ending of hope?

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) offers patients the hope that they may have a child and provides the primary motivation for treatment. Despite the treatment failure, for many, the hope of conception remains. The decision to abandon treatment is momentous, especially for those couples with a diagnosis of unexplained infertility. The urgency for individuals to pre-empt future regrets and to know they have done enough to do so contributes to a significant amount of pressure. This pressure is further exacerbated by external pressures to conceive. A significant factor intrinsic to the decision-making process is the role of 'hope'. Hope allows women, in particular, to avoid the reality of potential childlessness. Thus, the necessity for psychological support to be offered at the point of ending treatment is crucial. This paper draws on the author's research completed in 2005 and includes a more recent literature search which finds the original evidence still pertinent.