Evaluation of infertile men after one year of therapy. Results of treatment and its effect on desire for children and self-esteem

Background and Objective. Many couples have to cope with periods of involun tary childlessness and they often ask for medical help. In the Heidelberg P roject of involuntary childlessness in men, andrological patients were surv eyed from the time before diagnosis till the end of 1 year's andrological t reatment. Patients/Methods. 145 andrological patients were interviewed and filled out questionnaires to assess their wishes for parenting and their self-esteem. Results. As expected men with a normal spermiographic finding had an increa sed chance to father a child - even more so, when no andrological treatment was performed. For those who remained childless, the wish for parenting ha d a higher importance than for the eventual fathers. There was little chang e in self-esteem,either at the beginning of treatment or one year later - w ith one exception: men who became fathers and had been treated suffered fro m more social isolation than those who became fathers and had not been trea ted. Conclusions. Beyond the desired effects of medical treatment, psychological and social effects have to be considered in men with involuntary childless ness, especially with those patients whose spermiogram is not severely redu ced.