Review

Wider discussion needed

THE EMOTIONAL SIDE OF INFERTILITY
Chrissie Jones
Next Step Publishing, 1995, £4.99

I was delighted to see this booklet had been published because the emotional side of infertility is a neglected area. Most writing about infertility is about assisted conception so it was particularly good to see that it does recognise that some infertile women and men or fertile women and men with infertile partners will remain childless. Otherwise this booklet was a great disappointment.

It is written exclusively for women and men experiencing infertility within the context of heterosexual relationships. It assumes that partnerships will be enriched by the experience and that if you have a child you will be better parents for it.

Although there is advice for people who do not succeed with a pregnancy it is superficial. The references to religion are all Christian and the cartoons which presumably are supposed to lighten the booklet are particularly unattractive and possibly, to some people, offensive.

While the booklet acknowledges some of the difficulties of medical involvement it assumes that everyone will want medical intervention and offers no alternatives. For example on laparoscopies: ‘Why are you afraid? You are allowing something to be done which will help you plan the next stage. See it as a positive step. The full medical team are there to help you. They are experienced and very competent.’

The book’s attitude to readers is similar to infertility services’ attitudes to patients. The reader is taken down the road of a whole series of ‘routine tests and investigations’ and is only encouraged to start asking questions for themselves when considering IVF. The book advises donor insemination from medical services, the alternative being sleeping with someone else. The experience of lesbian, single and other women who have organised donor insemination through self-help groups and friendship networks does not get a mention.

The booklet offers no analysis of the pressures on adults to have children and advises particular caution in all situations where relationships might not be totally biological. It asks no questions about the physical and emotional health implications of treatment, perhaps not surprising as the booklet is partially funded by drug companies.

Overall, the book highlights the need for wider discussion about the emotional side of infertility than it provides. healthmatters might be a good place to explore some of these issues.