[Psychosocial situation of married couples prior to artificial insemination with donor sperm]

Abstract

57 couples who attended our outpatient department for artificial insemination with donor sperm (AID) had a detailed semistandardized interview prior to treatment. The Giessen Test was used as personality test, as well as a questionnaire concerning the sexual and partner relationship. We found that it was the woman who had to bear the major part of the intrapsychic burden and who primarily suffered because of the problem which was actually caused by male sterility. However, 54 of 57 couples had no psychological difficulties to overcome the sterility problem. These couples developed individual and partnership strategies to deal with the burden of unwanted childlessness. They preferred AID rather than adoption, because for the woman this alternative offers the chance of real parenthood. AID seems to provide a medico-technical solution for couples with sterility problems: the reproductive process at the biological level was regarded as distinctly separated from their future role as parents which they considered to be a social task.