International guidelines for infertility counselling – is there an emerging trend?

It is widely accepted that infertility and involuntary childlessness, and the decision to engage with ART services as a patient, donor, or surrogate can entail wide-ranging psychosocial issues. Psychosocial counselling has, therefore, become valued as an integral element of ART services. Globally however, a very mixed picture emerges of the current state – and status – of infertility counselling. While it is relatively well developed in some jurisdictions and is even formally supported by legislative mandates in some, such as several Australian states and the United Kingdom, it is far less well advanced elsewhere.
Evidence of the paucity of systematic information regarding the state of infertility counselling globally can be gauged by the most recent International Federation of Fertility Societies’ Surveillance report which makes the following specific reference to counselling: in Croatia, Ireland and the Netherlands in respect of oocyte donation; a “few” (unspecified) jurisdictions in regard to embryo donation); Nepal as regards sperm donation; Belgium in respect of “welfare of the child” requirements, and general references to counselling for gestational surrogacy.