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. 2024 Sep 6;36(3):171-177.
doi: 10.1515/medgen-2024-2029. eCollection 2024 Sep.

Psychological aspects of infertility

Tewes Wischmann  1
Affiliations

Psychological aspects of infertility

Tewes Wischmann. Med Genet. .

Abstract
in English, German

The unfulfilled desire for children is a significant problem worldwide. The psychological effects of this development are usually underestimated, while the myth of "psychogenic infertility" stubbornly persists. This article first provides an overview of the basic facts on the subject before highlighting the psychological effects of both the diagnosis of infertility and the therapeutic options. Psychological aspects of "third-party" reproduction and further developments after childbirth or without a child are discussed, followed by a brief outline of the general and specific subject matter addressed in infertility counselling. The article concludes with reflections on the possible psychological consequences of further medical developments in this area.

Unerfüllter Kinderwunsch ist weltweit ein bedeutsames Problem. Die psychologischen Auswirkungen dieser Entwicklung werden meist unterschätzt, während der Mythos der „psychogenen Infertilität“ hartnäckig persistiert. In diesem Beitrag wird zunächst eine Übersicht über grundlegende Fakten zur Thematik gegeben, bevor die psychologischen Auswirkungen sowohl der Diagnosestellung Infertilität als auch der therapeutischen Optionen aufgezeigt werden. Psychologische Aspekte der Familienbildung mit Hilfe Dritter und der weiteren Entwicklung nach Kindsgeburt bzw. ohne Kind werden skizziert, wie auch ein kurzer Einblick in allgemeine und spezifische Beratungsinhalte bei unerfülltem Kinderwunsch gegeben. Der Beitrag schließt mit Überlegungen zu möglichen psychologischen Konsequenzen der weiteren medizinischen Entwicklungen in diesem Bereich.

Keywords: assisted reproduction; infertility; infertility counselling; psychosocial aspects; third-party reproduction.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.

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