Knowledge And Feelings Of Women With Primary Infertility: Aspects To Improve Health Provider [vivências De Mulheres Com Diagnóstico De Infertilidade Primária: Significado Para O Atendimento Ambulatorial]

Objectives: To describe the knowledge and feelings of women consulting at the Human Reproduction Unit of CAISM at the State University of Campinas, related to their primary infertility diagnosis and identify aspects to improve health provider communication strategies. Subjects and methods: Interviews to assess knowledge and feelings related to primary infertility diagnosis were performed with 30 women with primary infertility, selected according to the criteria of a purposeful sample. For this selection medical records of the regularly scheduled follow-up consultations were reviewed, and the women that accepted voluntarily to participate in the study and signed an informed consent, were included in the study. Results: The women were between 32 and 37 years old and had completed 6 or more years of schooling. One third, when asked about the meaning of their infertility diagnosis, presented difficulties to explain it. However, when they were given another opportunity to talk about their diagnosis, some were able to identify aspects they understood and those they didn't, and ask questions about their doubts. For most women surprise and sadness were the first feelings after receiving the diagnosis. Some reported feeling "less woman" and others relief after receiving an explanation for their impossibility of becoming pregnant. Conclusions: Based on the analysis of the interviews, it was possible to observe that for the women of this study infertility diagnosis was a surprise and caused sadness. Some of them needed more time to express the meaning of the diagnosis and the doubts they had about it. These findings allowed the social workers of the Human Reproduction Unit to discuss new communication strategies for the women with primary infertility.172118121Bury, M., Chronic illness as a biographic disruption (1982) Soc. Health Iln., 4, pp. 167-182Burns, L.H., Infertility as boundary ambiguity: One theoretical perspective (1987) Fam. Process, 26, pp. 359-372Shapiro, C., When part of the self is lost (1993), Jossey-Bass San FranciscoBahamondes, M.Y.M., Algumas vivências das mulheres com esterilidade primária por obstrução tubária e informações recebidas sobre o risco das infecções de trato reprodutivo Campinas (1996), p. 130. , Dissertação (Mestrado em Saúde Mental) - Universidade Estadual de CampinasMahlstedt, P., The psychological component of infertility (1985) Fertil Steril, 43, pp. 335-346Shapiro, C., Infertility and pregnancy loss (1988), Jossey-Bass San FranciscoAndrews, F., Abbey, A., Halman, L., Stress from infertility, marriage factors and subjective well-being of wives and husbands (1991) Am. J. Health Behav., 32, pp. 238-242Ong, L., De Haes, J., Hoos, A., Lammes, F., Doctor-Patient Communication: A review of the literature (1995) Soc. Sci. Med., 40, pp. 903-918Weinman, J., An outline of psychology as applied to medicine (1987), Wrigth, BristolDos Santos Fernandes, A., Bahamondes, L., Incidência dos fatores etiológicos de esterilidade conjugal nos hospitais universitários de Campinas (1996) Rev. Bras. Ginec. Obstet., 18, pp. 29-32Martinelli, M.L., Pesquisa qualitativa: Um instigante desafio (1999), Veras Editora, São PauloDe Souza, M.M., O desafio do conhecimento: Pesquisa Qualitativa em Saúde. 2a Edição. São Paulo: Hucitec-Abrasco (1993)Murayama, A., Nascimento, C.S., Bahamondes, L., Hidalgo, M., Dantas, C.M., Características dos casais do Programa de Esterilização in Vitro do CAISM/UNICAMP (1995) Reprod. Clim., 10 (4), pp. 166-16