The role of counseling in infertility

Sixty-two couples with infertility received infertility counseling along with the infertility investigation and treatment. At the end of the study a questionnaire was sent to all patients in order to evaluate the incidence of psychologic symptoms associated with their infertility and their response to counseling. The study confirmed the presence of a high incidence of emotional symptomatology in the self-selected patients. It showed that male partners are also affected, but less so. Finally, it has demonstrated that infertility counseling serves to enhance the quality of life in many patients who have become the victims of their "infertility crises."