How do carriers of hemophilia and their spouses experience prenatal diagnosis by chorionic villus sampling?

A semistructured personal interview with 29 female carriers of hemophilia a nd 23 of their spouses was performed at a median of 31/2 years after the fi rst chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and gene analysis. Carriers with a hemo philic father or brother, had high sense of coherence (SOC) scores, and thu s would be expected to have good ability to handle the stress of prenatal d iagnosis (PD). Prenatal diagnosis of hemophilia by CVS was generally well a ccepted by the women and their spouses. However, the period while waiting f or test results was experienced as emotionally troublesome by both the wome n and their spouses; women reporting significantly more psychiatric or psyc hosomatic symptoms than men. Positive effects resulting from participation by the spouse on how the women experienced PD could not be identified. Sele ctive abortion after first trimester PD was clearly experienced as emotiona lly painful by both the women and their spouses, these reactions being simi lar to, but not as pronounced as those found after second trimester selecti ve abortion. Notably, signs of depressive mood were observed several years after the abortion, and the provision of psychosocial support should be rec ommended for couples who decide upon termination of pregnancy following PD.