Men Undergoing Fertility Treatment Told to ‘Keep Talking’, Despite the Difficulty of Revealing Their Emotions on the Infertility Rollercoaster

London, UK (PRWEB) August 1, 2006

The advice given to men on the infertility rollercoaster is to ‘keep talking’. Men still find it extremely difficult to discuss their emotions, says Steven Sonsino, a business school professor talking openly about his fertility treatment for the first time.

The message to ‘keep talking’ is captured on ‘The Infertility Rollercoaster – What It Feels Like For A Guy’, a DVD recorded live at National Infertility Day 2006 (10 June 2006).

‘It’s the first time in six years that the organisers have allowed video cameras into the conference,’ says Sonsino. ‘More people are beginning to recognise the need to get this message out far and wide.’

Explaining why he produced the DVD, Sonsino says ‘Despite the increased awareness of the problems of infertility, men are still emotionally immature when it comes to explaining their needs and wants, even to their partner.’

Clare Brown, Chief Executive of Infertility Network UK, supports the ‘keep talking’ message. ‘Despite the increased availability of counselling for patients undergoing fertility treatment, men still do not seem to want to talk,’ she says, ‘even though it’s just as tough emotionally for them as it is for women.’ Only 10% of callers to the support group are made by men, she says.

‘What makes Steven’s “Keep Talking” message so important,’ says Ms Brown, ‘is that he tackles the issues of infertility in a light hearted way that frankly we really need. Don’t be fooled by the approach, though. The issues he raises are really important. You see, Steven tells us what it feels like for a guy on the Infertility Rollercoaster. And that’s not something we hear every day.’

Nicola Dawson, a patient who attended Sonsino’s keynote lecture, says ‘I sat there at The Infertility Rollercoaster session, laughing and crying with the other 500 or more people as Steven spoke, and I must say that I found it truly inspirational.’

Ms Dawson’s husband was not present on the day of the lecture, but he will be getting a copy of the DVD. ‘I think it will be incredibly helpful for him to realise that he's not alone in his feelings. I think Steven’s lecture will have made a huge difference to an awful lot of people,’ says Ms Dawson.

David Lowe, another patient, says ‘My wife and I were at National Infertility Day as we've started IVF this year. It has been one of the hardest things in my life to deal with. Nevertheless, I found Steven’s talk very moving, entertaining and funny! I certainly want to order a copy of the DVD. His talk really helped us.’

Infertility professionals also believe the message is important. Helena Hird, Head of Public Relations at the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority, which licenses treatment in the UK, says ‘We've had some really good feedback on Steven’s lecture and thought it would be really useful to include the talk as part of the HFEA staff induction process.’

Hossam Abdalla, Director of the Assisted Conception Unit at the Lister Hospital in London, says ‘It made me understand really the depth of feeling of what our patients go through. Although one always feels that this is the case, hearing it directly, from a patient, whether they were successful or not, makes one more clear of how to approach patient management.’

So the advice given to men on the infertility rollercoaster is to ‘keep talking’, because although this is the 21st century, men still find it extremely difficult to discuss their emotions, says Steven Sonsino.

Note: All profits from the DVD go direct to Infertility Network UK.

For information about The Infertility Rollercoaster DVD, contact Steven Sonsino or visit The Infertility Rollercoaster.

To preview The Infertility Rollercoaster DVD or to order a copy visit The Infertility Rollercoaster.

About Steven Sonsino:

Steven Sonsino is a business school professor teaching in London, Berlin and Lisbon. He broadcasts a leadership podcast at Leadership.FM - the leadership style podcast. And his sperm count fluctuates wildly round the 100,000 mark.

Contact:

Steven Sonsino

Moore Sonsino Limited

29 Harley Street

London, UK

W1G 9QR

+44(0)1234 771100

The Infertility Rollercoaster

For general information and support on infertility, visit the Infertility Network UK website at The Infertility Network UK.

For more information on Infertility Network UK contact

Susan Seenan                

Communications Officer        

Telephone: +44(0)1294 230730            

Mobile: 07762 137786             

Infertility Network UK

Charter House

43 St. Leonards Road

Bexhill on Sea

East Sussex, UK

TN40 1JA

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