[Evaluation of infertile men after 1 year of andrological therapy. Results of treatment and its effect on desire for children and self-esteem]

Abstract

Background and objective: Many couples have to cope with periods of involuntary childlessness and they often ask for medical help. In the Heidelberg Project of involuntary childlessness in men, andrological patients were surveyed from the time before diagnosis till the end of 1 year's andrological treatment.

Patients/methods: 145 andrological patients were interviewed and filled out questionnaires to assess their wishes for parenting and their self-esteem.

Results: As expected men with a normal spermiographic finding had an increased chance to father a child--even more so, when no andrological treatment was performed. For those who remained childless, the wish for parenting had a higher importance than for the eventual fathers. There was little change in self-esteem, either at the beginning of treatment or one year later--with one exception: men who became fathers and had been treated suffered from more social isolation than those who became fathers and had not been treated.

Conclusions: Beyond the desired effects of medical treatment, psychological and social effects have to be considered in men with involuntary childlessness, especially with those patients whose spermiogram is not severely reduced.