Infertility and Adoption

This compassionate book brings together for the first time issues about infertility and adoption. Fifteen to 20 of all married couples in the United States are infertile, and most people have intense psychological and emotional reactions to the experience of infertility. Infertility and Adoption provides a clear understanding of the historical and social context of infertility, its emotional impact, and the process of coping with infertility. A prototype for conducting psychosocial assessments with infertile couples is provided. Practitioners, researchers, and administrators will learn about the latest trends in preparing adoptive parents for the arrival of their child. The multidisciplinary appeal of this book will reach professionals in social work and mental health and better prepare all of those who work with the growing number of individuals touched by infertility.

Deborah Valentine, MSSW, PhD, is Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina, College of Social Work in Columbia. She has been published on issues of child maltreatment, family violence,

Contents Foreword - Women, Motherhood, and Infertility: The Social and Historical Context - Psychosocial Evaluation of the Infertile Couple: Implications for Social Work Practice - Coping With Infertility - Reproductive Losses and Grieving - Support to Persons Experiencing Infertility: Family and Friends Can Help - Vulnerability to Crises During the Life Cycle of the Adoptive Family - The Institution of Adoption: Its Sources and Perpetuation - Open Adoptions: Practice and Policy Issues - Placement Disruptions: Perspectives of Adoptive Parents - Post-Legal Adoption Services: A Lifelong Commitment - Teleconference Technology in Adoption: Utilizing Educational Television in Adoption Preparation - Index