We aimed to review the global literature in the past 10 years regarding the impact of infertility on depression, anxiety, stress, and quality of life while exploring the potential clinical utility of psychosocial fertility questionnaires. PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL were searched for English-published articles since 2013 on key search terms related to infertility, assisted reproductive technologies, and psychological terms such as depression, anxiety, mood disorders, and quality of life. The search yielded 7,947 articles, of which 366 articles were independently deemed relevant by the 3 reviewers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To identify factors influencing sperm donor willingness to participate in direct-to-consumer genetic testing, comfort with sharing genetically identifiable data in commercial genetic testing databases, and likelihood to donate sperm again.
Design: Cross-sectional online anonymous survey.
Setting: Multicenter, 2 large American sperm banks from July 1, 2020 to July10, 2021.
How old is too old to be a father? Can you be a little bit older or "old-ish" to be a dad without being considered an "older dad"? At some point, does one simply become too old to be a father? Unless a man requires medical assistance in family building, that answer has historically turned solely on his opportunity to have a willing female partner of reproductive age. As with so many other aspects of family building, assisted reproductive technologies have transformed the possibilities for-and spawned heated debates about-maternal age. Much attention has been given to this contentious topic for potential mothers, with many programs putting age-related limitations in place for their female patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMental health professionals serve an important role in guiding intended parents through a myriad of considerations from donor or surrogate selection to issues of disclosure with children. This role has evolved due to many considerations including evolving practice and ethics guidelines, as well as other factors such as access to the internet. This Views and Reviews will explore how team care, inclusive of the mental health professional, serves the interests of patients and provides a strong foundation for families created with the help of donors and/or surrogates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe role of mental health professionals (MHPs) in third-party reproduction has grown and evolved in service to patient care and the needs of medical infertility practices. The need for mental health evaluation and psychoeducation has increased as the psychosocial considerations for the stakeholders and families created through gamete donation and surrogacy are increasingly understood and considered. The conflicting definitions of these roles of evaluation and psychoeducation often leave MHPs in the role of de facto ethical gatekeepers in third-party reproduction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe authors of this Views and Reviews describe the evolution of the role of mental health counseling in infertility care. As the use of assisted reproductive technologies and third-party reproduction has grown, so too has the interest and demand for mental health services. A historical perspective is presented that sets the stage for subsequent discussions of key areas where mental health practitioners are able to contribute to the utility and outcomes of infertile patients as well as those involved in their care.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Acquiring communication and interpersonal skills is an important part of providing patient-centered care and improving patient satisfaction. This study explores whether residents' own values about patient communication can be influenced by training.
Methods: As part of service excellence, a three-hour communication skills training in AIDET™ (Acknowledge, Introduce, Duration, Explanation, Thank You) was delivered to first and second Post-Graduate Year (PGY) residents (n = 123).