[Emotional characteristics and attitudes of couples during in vitro fertilization treatment]

During the past few years in vitro fertilization (IVF) has become one of the standard infertility treatments. In Israel the unique combination of high motivation for childbirth, an active public health service and a large number of IVF units, has created new attitudes among potential patients. The attitudes of 87 couples applying for IVF treatment; their perception of their chances for success of the treatment and of the factors affecting its success; their conception of this treatment as a factor in solving their problems; their emotional responses; and their attitudes to the alternatives, such as adoption, are reviewed. For most couples the choice of place of treatment was not based on reliable medical considerations. The level of anxiety was higher among the women than among the men. It was correlated with their perception of the chances of success of the treatment, as well as with their comprehension of this success as related to future problems.