Childless: No Choice: The Experience of Involuntary Childlessness by James H. Monach Purchase at:  Amazon.com  Format: Hardcover, 288pp.  ISBN: 0415040906 Publisher: Routledge  Pub. Date: May 1993

Description from Amazon.com

Book Description 

Childless: No Choice is based on original research into the emotional and social aspects of involuntary childlessness, its main component being a long-term study of the experiences of couples attending an infertility clinic. The study is further supported by a community survey and a survey of the attitudes of general practitioners. The book examines in detail the causes of childlessness and the availability of choices for childless people including artificial insemination, foster parenting and adoption.

About the Author 

James H. Monach is Senior Lecturer in Social Work in the Department of Health and Community Studies, Sheffield City Polytechnic.

Description from BarnesandNoble.com

Table of Contents

List of tables and figure

Acknowledgements

1 Childless: the context   1

2 Understanding childlessness 15

3 Pronatalism   44

4 Childlessness in community and clinic   60

5 Acknowledging childlessness   84

6 Experiencing childlessness   109

7 Undergoing childlessness   143

8 Resolving childlessness   181

9 The present and the future   210

Appendix I: Glossary of medical terms   229

Appendix II: Normal reproduction   239

Appendix III: Investigation of infertility   242

Appendix IV: Fertility problems   245

Bibliography    253

Author index    264

Subject index    00

Description from the Publishers Web site

As many as one in five couples in some population groups can be infertile and, despite the attention attracted by technological advances and media coverage, these people often feel totally isolated, stigmatized, and misunderstood by professionals and ordinary people.

Childless: No Choice is based on original research into the emotional and social aspects of involuntary childlessness, its main component being a long-term study of the experiences of couples attending an infertility clinic. The study is further supported by a community survey and a survey of the attitudes of general practitioners.

At a time of new advances in infertility treatments and new legislative controls, it is important that medical professionals addressing this issue have a full appreciation of the personal experiences and views of infertile people. James H. Monach examines in detail the causes of childlessness and the availability of choices for childless people including artificial insemination, foster parenting and adoption.

This book will be invaluable to doctors, sociologists, social workers, psychologists, health administrators and anyone who works with childless couples, as well as childless couples themselves.