Procreational attitudes and behaviour: some problems of genetic counseling effectiveness

Some results of the study of genetic counseling effectiveness, conducted in 1980-1981, are the subject of this paper. The main group under the study consisted of 187 families with the Down syndrome child, who in the period 1974-1979 visited the Genetics Clinic of NRIMC and received genetic counseling there. The relation between genetic counseling and the procreation sphere among the studied families is presented. Procreation plans have been analysed with special emphasis made on changes related to genetic counseling. The influence of this counseling as a factor reducing fear of having a child with a disease has been confirmed. It has been found that procreation plans have changed after the counseling especially among those women who did not plan pregnancy earlier. Some psychological aspects of genetic counseling as are essential for forming procreation attitudes of the consulting families have also been discussed.