Infertility support sought from local government: preliminary survey of needs among people who attended public lecture

Purpose

Support both from medical centers and from local government is indispensable to the growing number of infertile couples who are seeking treatment after advances in medical technology.

Methods

A self-administered questionnaire survey of the demand for infertility support was conducted among those who attended a public lecture offered by Aichi Prefecture, asking specifically about their requests for Aichi Prefectural government aid.

Results

The survey results indicated that information was obtained about financial support by administrative and infertility support programs in Aichi Prefecture. Because most people usually received this information at medical institutions, local government coordinated with medical institutions. Men and women were found to have different demands for infertility support—while women typically sought psychological support, for example counseling, men usually sought learning opportunities in study groups. In particular, women sought opportunities to interact with interested parties, which suggested that the establishment of peer activities would be a helpful form of support.

Conclusions

We need collaboration of government services with medical institutions, support, and investigation to form an infertility network that accepts sex differences.