ABSTRACT
Apart from counselling for adoption, counselling was first mentioned in legislation in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act in the UK when it was stipulated that all patients for assisted conception or using donor gametes should have the ‘opportunity to receive proper counselling’. When the draft legislation was published much debate ensued on what comprised ‘proper counselling’. A crucial factor has been that counsellors need understanding of reproductive medicine and medical practitioners require an understanding of counselling skills. A national body has been established by the government focusing on ‘advice, guidance, counselling and psychotherapy’ to determine what should constitute evidence of the competences and the detail is emerging. Implications were described as ‘not necessarily requiring the role of a trained counsellor, but a practitioner would benefit from basic training and counselling skills as well as an understanding of reproductive health care in medical, social and emotional contexts’. The Code of Practice stipulated that information and implications were mandatory for all couples.
