Assisted reproductive technology - IVF treatment in Ireland: A study of couples with successful outcomes

Abstract

This article describes the experiences of twelve Irish couples who had successful IVF treatment in Ireland. Irish Medical guidelines specify that IVF may only be used when no other treatment is likely to be effective. This article is based on data drawn from a longitudinal research study by Cotter (2009) which tells the stories of 34 couples who sought fertility treatment. Initially, the women assumed that they would become pregnant when they stopped using contraception. As a couple, it was the 'right time' for them to have a child--they were ready, socially and financially. For several months they were patient, hoping it would happen naturally. With envy and some despair they watched as their friends had babies. Infertility came as a shock to most of them. They were reluctant to talk about it to anyone, and over time their anxieties were accompanied by feelings of regret, stigma and social exclusion. They finally sought medical treatment. The latter involved a series of diagnostic treatments, which eventually culminated in IVF which offered them a final chance of having a 'child of their own'. While IVF can be clinically assessed in terms of cycle success rates, their stories showed treatment as a series of discoveries, as an extensive range of diagnostic tests and procedures helped to reveal to them where their problems might lie. They described their treatments as a series of sequential 'hurdles' that they had to overcome, which further strengthened their resolve to try IVF. Much more knowledgeable at that stage, they embraced IVF as a final challenge with single minded dedication while drawing on all their psychological and biological resources to promote a successful outcome. Of the 34 couples who took part in the study, twelve got pregnant. Unfortunately, two children died shortly after birth but eighteen babies survived (see Table I). The findings suggest that health policy should raise awareness of infertility, and advise women to become aware of it--just as in the past, when health policy addressed contraception. Increased public knowledge would reduce the stigma attached to the inability to have a baby. In the Irish case, infertility diagnosis should be reviewed with a view to giving eligible couples earlier access to IVF.

The Human Responses and Nursing Diagnoses of Those Living With Infertility: A Qualitative Systematic Review

“…It was lovely." (Mahon & Cotter, 2014) 1 Comfort "Last time, I suffered from ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome after being injected with a follicle-stimulating hormone. I was frightened.…”

“…Those corroborated existing evidence that addressed comfort and discomfort (Schoener & Krysa, 1996) and coping strategies (Ismail & Moussa, 2017) in infertile patients. Also, the emergence of dignity in this health context is an interesting aspect as it may claim the delivery of a respectful approach in fertility care (Arya & Dibb, 2016;Batool & de Visser, 2015;Bell, 2012;Benasutti, 2003;Cipolletta & Faccio, 2013;Ferland & Caron, 2013;Fernández-Sola, Martínez-Caba, Hernández-Padilla, Carmona-Samper, & Granero-Molina, 2016;Mahon & Cotter, 2014;Olafsdottir, Wikland, & Möller, 2013). The absence of a patient-centered care has been previously highlighted as the origin of patients' burden and eventual dropouts from ART (Boivin et al, 2012;Huppelschoten et al, 2013).…”

O Narrativas Sobre O Impacto Das Técnicas De Reprodução Assistida Na Experiência Da Gestação

“…A infertilidade é definida pela Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) como a impossibilidade de alcançar a gravidez após um ano ou mais de relações sexuais regulares sem o uso de métodos contraceptivos (Zegers-Hochschild et al, 2009), afetando de 10 a 15% dos casais em idade fértil (Portugal, 2008). Para casais que se deparam com uma situação de infertilidade conjugal, o desejo de ter um filho biológico tende a envolver a superação de uma série de obstáculos (Mahon, & Cotter, 2014).…”

“…Nesse contexto, as pessoas podem se mostrar dispostas a fazer o necessário para alcançarem a gravidez. As TRA podem ser vistas como a última alternativa disponível para tal (Mahon, & Cotter, 2014). A partir de um estudo qualitativo realizado na Irlanda, com 32 casais, Mahon e Cotter sugeriram que o tratamento pode ser encarado como "um desafio final, com dedicação focada, em que todos os recursos psicológicos e biológicos são investidos para garantir um resultado positivo" (p. 165).…”

“…Desse modo, o uso das TRA tem sido descrito como um estressor multidimensional, pois abarca, além das questões relacionadas à experiência de infertilidade, demandas e desafios próprios do tratamento (Verhaak et al, 2001). Os casais que a elas recorrem costumam lidar com despesas elevadas, com diversos procedimentos diagnósticos invasivos, com a sensação de perda de controle sobre as próprias vidas e com repetidos ciclos de esperança e frustração, que seguem os resultados obtidos em cada etapa do tratamento (Lee, 2015;Mahon, & Cotter, 2014, Verhaak et al, 2001. Trata-se, portanto, de um período potencialmente estressante (Smorti, & Smorti, 2013), que tende a ocasionar um desgaste físico e psíquico.…”