Pma’s path, medically assisted procreation, it can be complex. And the pandemic has aggravated the situation: not only because of the delays in accessing Pma techniques but for the ipsychological impact that the Covid-19 emergency has had on many of them. “After the pandemic it happens more frequently that couples who wanted to have a child abandon the ideaoverwhelmed by anxieties and worries, “he explains Stefano Bernardi, psychologist of the Italian Society of Human Reproduction. The theme of the emotional destabilization of couples, very often at the origin of the increasingly frequent renunciation of PMA treatments, was at the center of the V National Congress of the Siru which took place in Rimini until May 28th. “If even before Covid-19 emotional stress, combined with other socio-economic factors, were leading one in four couples every year to abandon the difficult and long paths of Pma, with the heavy reduction of services implemented to counter the health emergency, it is estimated that around 5,000 fewer babies were born in 2020“, he said Antonio Guglielminopresident of the association.
Blocked by concerns related to family or economic factors, by the uncertainty of the situation and by a perception of general precariousness, as well as following the reduction of the activity by the health structures that carry out Pma treatments, the number of couples who have given up on having children in the pandemic year has grown further. «For this, now more than ever, it is necessary enhance psychological support offered to couples who want to access Pma »underlines Bernardi, who brings attention to the role of the professional figure of the psychologist within the paths of assisted procreation. “L’mentoring of the psychologist it allows couples to maintain a conscious attitude but also to develop awareness and acceptance of the infertility condition and of the treatments they decide to undergo. Ultimately allowing easier acceptance of a possible negative outcome ».
Psychological support is therefore essential. It is for everyone, let alone for the people involved in this kind of path: “It is now an urgent need to outline specific protocols for psychologists who deal with medically assisted procreation that starts but does not end with the definition of how and when the specialist has to enter the couple’s path. This also in the light of a new phenomenon that we are observing among couples suffering from infertility »adds the psychologist.
The problem is that now basically we refer to the internet and social networks. Well, perhaps, but not very well: in fact, he tells us about the condition of fragility that one goes through in that phase: “More and more couples, and in these especially women, ask for information – Bernardi reports – about treatments and experiences of Pma online, encouraged or “more protected” also by the possibility of anonymity. This shows us a growing isolation on the part of the couple from the rest of society who feel they can only be understood and helped by those who have lived through similar experiences. This phenomenon of marginalization risks having serious repercussions on the mental health of the couple and the individual, and consequently on the potential success of the treatments “.
There are now countless researches that prove the crucial role of the psychologist in countering the abandonment of care and reduce cases of depression, anxiety and isolation, reminding us once again how fundamental it is that the treatment of infertility passes through the taking charge of the couple at 360 degrees, no aspect of their health excluded. «To prepare the couple for the success of Pma techniques – concludes Guglielmino – an evaluation and overall care of the health of the two is necessary. With this premise, our congress offered food for thought on issues and themes ranging from nutrition, lifestyles, sexual problems to genetics, from modern communication systems between doctor and patient to the certainty and importance of informed consent. , up to the donation and preservation of gametes and psychological help systems “. One of the Company’s urgent and ambitious objectives is to define and facilitate the implementation of territorial paths able to assist the couple in the right quality and timing.
Medically Assisted Procreation, where are we in Italy
Assisted fertilization: more than 5 thousand unborn children due to Covid delays
Source: Vanity Fair
