[Bioethical study on the expectations of women awaiting assisted reproduction in a public hospital in the Federal District, Brazil].

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the expectations of women who wait for Assisted Reproduction Treatment-RA in the public hospital chosen as the reference in the Public Health Network in the Federal District-HRAS, Brazil.

METHODS

For thirty days, 51 women of the 56 who went to the HRAS for infertility treatment were interviewed by a questionnaire including 10 objective questions related to the topic.

RESULTS

This trial was divided into two groups. The first, the "control group", comprised 27 patients recently sent to the reference public hospital from local health care centers or a regional hospital. The second, the "study group", comprising 24 women already diagnosed by the medical staff of HRAS and in the waiting line for "in vitro" fertilization. According to the input provided by the two groups, results show that the average waiting time for treatment is so long that women actually age during this time and face the risk of having a dangerous pregnancy before they receive treatment.

CONCLUSION

These results show that women unable to pay for treatment in a private fertilization clinic have a poorer chance of achieving RA: the health problem concerning this specific population ignores redressing or income distribution processes. Data show that, notwithstanding, this waiting period imposed by the State, expectations of the patients waiting for RA are reinforced. There is no basis to provide information about the waiting time. The unpredictable availability of the medication needed for in vitro fertilization, jeopardizes the future of this service offering the treatment.