| Most couples start down the long road of infertility | | | | guide you to the medical and personal alternatives. |
| treatment with a visit to their GP. It may only be for | | | | Where the local authority has an agreed protocol for |
| advice or for reference on to more specialist | | | | care between the different medical professions, such |
| services. Yet the GP's role in infertility treatment is | | | | as the one agreed in Wakefield, the role of the GP in |
| often underestimated. The support and advice of a | | | | the physical care of the infertile couple is quite clear. |
| good one can be crucial - and it is certainly worth | | | | Where there is no such agreement, the Royal College |
| enlisting the support of yours. On a practical level | | | | of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has drawn up |
| your GP can make sure that initial tests are | | | | guidelines for practice in infertility treatment, and |
| completed quickly and efficiently, and provide a | | | | these also set out advice to GPs and a description of |
| smooth path into treatment. On a more personal | | | | initial assessments that should be made. Some expect |
| level, your GP can give you continuity of care and | | | | couples to try to conceive naturally for one or even |
| support which specialist services cannot offer. This | | | | two years, before they will take their problems |
| can be important when you end up seeing a different | | | | seriously. However, the College's guidelines stress |
| doctor at virtually every appointment at different | | | | that a couple concerned about their fertility should be |
| hospitals and clinics over several years. Your GP | | | | seen - regardless of how long they have been |
| should know both your medical and personal | | | | experiencing problems. Unfortunately not all GPs |
| background and can advise you accordingly. If | | | | know about them and some seem to know nothing |
| treatment does work, your GP can provide a bridge | | | | at all about infertility treatment. |
| into antenatal care. If it does not, your doctor can | | | | |