Self - Help Is the Best Help

nfertility causes great personal suffering and distress. Most of this is hidden from the public gaze, and this is why it is still not talked about openly. The reasons for the lack of public support for the infertile couple include the dismal ignorance about the causes of infertility and its treatment; and the failure of infertile couples to make their problems (and the solutions to them) known to the public, because of their low self-esteem and reluctance to talk about their problems, thus making this a vicious cycle.

Infertile couples are socially isolated and emotionally very vulnerable. They need a place where they can get together and talk to people in the same boat as themselves, to help them tide over this crisis in their life. After all, if infertile patients will not look after their own interests, then who will?

Infertility Friends is India's first support group for infertile couples. This is a non-profit registered charitable trust for infertile couples, where they can get together and discuss their problems. In order to facilitate this process, the Patient Education Library has over 30 videos, 50 books and 100 brochures on infertility, which help patients to learn more about their problems.

Its mission is to provide compassionate and informed help to people experiencing the crisis of infertility; and to increase visibility about infertility issues by public education. Its goals include: providing indepth, reliable medical information which encourages people to make informed decisions on options and treatment; encouraging patient self-education resulting in a stronger doctor-patient relationship; and offering emotional support services to reduce anxiety and help restore feelings of control, self-worth and optimism.

How does a support group help? No one understands infertility as well as someone who has been there. However, finding another couple experiencing the same problem can be difficult. Infertile people simply have no way of finding one...