[Types of anxiety of couples treated with assisted fertilization regarding hypothetical donation of embryos at Clinical Hospital of Chile University].

BACKGROUND

There are no empirical studies which have explored the experimentation with human embryos in Latin America. In general, there are no frameworks that regulate neither lawful matters of assisted reproduction nor the possibility of experimentation with human embryos, and the ethical frames are limited to those adopted by each center. Currently, to think about the real possibilities of experimentation with embryos goes beyond a legal frame, since the opinion of the potential actors is not known either (gamete or embryo donors). The experimentation with embryos is practically a reality in developed nations and Latin America continues appearing almost only as a potential market for the scientific advance.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the anxiety types of the couples treated with assisted fertilization before hypothetical donation of embryos for investigation, by a mixed quantitative and qualitative methodology.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

An oral semistructured interview was made individually to ten participants (seven women and three men) who had gone like patients of the Assisted Fertilization Program of the Gynecology and Obstetrics Service of the Clinical Hospital of the University of Chile. The scale of anxiety of the analysis of the verbal conduct method of Gottschalk and collaborators was applied to them.

RESULTS

The most frequently associated types of anxiety to the hypothetical situation of donation of embryos for scientific research were the fault, separation, and mutilation anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

It is recommended to develop educative programs regarding the culture of embryo donation for treatment of couples with fertility problems, as well as for investigation, and to develop educative programs about the meaning of relationship and of embryo status.