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03-01-2024 | Infertility | Gynecologic Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine

Evaluation of infertility counselling in Germany

Authors: Thorn Petra, Tewes Wischmann, Birgit Mayer-Lewis

Published in: Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics | Issue 3/2024

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper reports on the first evaluation of infertility counselling in Germany.

Methods

Sixty-nine infertility counsellors provided feedback via 524 survey sheets and 182 questionnaires were filled in by clients.

Results

The results show a high level of satisfaction on behalf of the clients. They valued the emotional support, information, and exploration of family-building options with and without medical assistance and the counsellors’ expertise. During counselling, coping with the emotional burden of infertility was an important issue, but in more than half of all counselling sessions, future parental issues were addressed. The group of clients seeking support can be described to be very heterogeneous, and counselling issues comprise a wide range of aspects.

Conclusions

This piece of research suggests that the following issues need to be considered to improve infertility counselling.
  • Better integration of counselling in infertility clinics, more awareness for infertility counselling for other medical and non-medical professions
  • Better funding for counselling so that its uptake is not dependent upon the financial resources of clients
  • Awareness for new groups of clients and counselling issues such as single and transgender individuals, co-parenting families
  • There is a need for more research and the development of counselling concepts.
Footnotes
1
This terminology is used by the German Medical Association in its “Guideline on the collection and transfer of human germ cells or germ cell tissue in the context of assisted reproduction” (https://​www.​bundesaerztekamm​er.​de/​fileadmin/​user_​upload/​BAEK/​Themen/​Medizin_​und_​Ethik/​RiLi-ass-Reproduktion.​pdf, last accessed 06.11.2023).
 
2
Infertility counselling can include issues such as the provision of emotional preparation and support for treatment, information about family building options, preparation for 3rd party reproduction, support for disclosure, grief and mourning, support prior to contact between donor and offspring.
 
3
In order to be certified by BKiD as an infertility counsellor, psychosocial professionals must have completed a professional training in a psychosocial area (most commonly a university degree in social work, psychology, medicine, pedagogy), a 3-year training in counselling or therapy with a minimum of 420 lessons, 2 years professional experience, one of which in infertility counselling and knowledge in the medical, psychosocial, ethical and legal issues in infertility counselling, usually after having completed a three-module training course in infertility counselling.
 
4
It is not possible to define a number as all state and national counselling centers were asked to distribute the questionnaire. It is unknown who did so.
 
5
The questionnaire is available from the first author upon request.
 
6
In Germany, both the government as well as the protestant and the catholic church and welfare organisations operate and finance counselling centres in various areas, such as for couple and family counselling, for support for young families as well as for support before and during pregnancy. Typically, this counselling is free of charge.
 
7
Until approx. 10 years ago, in Germany, there was a differentiation between social workers (with a stronger focus on societal and legal issues) and social pedagogues (with a stronger focus on family and individual issues). In the last 10 years, there has been a trend in Germany to follow international developments. Universities now offer courses in social work with specializations.
 
8
These numbers are based on 71% of counsellors who were aware of the school leaving qualification and 29% who had estimated this. In Germany, different school leaving certificates are issued after 9, 10, 12 or 13 years of schooling, respectively.
 
9
This includes detailed information about treatment options for oocyte donation or surrogacy, which is prohibited in Germany.
 
10
In Germany, psychosocial counselling is mandatory prior to pregnancy termination.
 
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Metadata
Title
Evaluation of infertility counselling in Germany
Authors
Thorn Petra
Tewes Wischmann
Birgit Mayer-Lewis
Publication date
03-01-2024
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics / Issue 3/2024
Print ISSN: 0932-0067
Electronic ISSN: 1432-0711
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-023-07316-x

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