Frequently Asked Questions on the Infertility Counselling Workshop Report

Q1) Do the opinions expressed in the Infertility Counselling Workshop Report reflect the views of Health Canada?

A1) The comments and opinions expressed in the report are those of the workshop participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of Health Canada.

Q2) Why was this workshop held?

A2) The workshop was aimed specifically at Canadian infertility counsellors. The purpose of the workshop was threefold: to provide an overview and discuss the impacts of the Assisted Human Reproduction Act on infertility counselling in Canada; to engage participants in a dialogue about infertility counselling services in Canada; and to discuss the development of the components for a regulatory framework for counselling in support of the Assisted Human Reproduction Act.

Q3) What does the Assisted Human Reproduction Act say regarding counselling?

A3) Paragraph 14(2)(b) of the Act requires that, prior to accepting a donation of human reproductive material or of an in vitro embryo from a person, or accepting health reporting information from a person, that a licensee shall, to the extent required by regulations, make counselling services available to the person and ensure that the person receives them.

Q4) Who was invited to the workshop?

A4) This workshop was scheduled in May 2004 in order to benefit from the presence of Canadian and international infertility counsellors already attending conferences in Quebec (the International Infertility Counselors Organization (IICO), and the 4th International Conference on Social Work on Health and Mental Health). As a result, Canadian and international infertility counsellors were invited to attend this initial information gathering workshop. The complete list of participants is provided at the end of the workshop report.

Q5) What issues were discussed?

A5) Participants discussed various issues, including: what counselling services are provided, who counselling services are provided to, the objectives of infertility counselling, the desired training and qualifications for infertility counsellors in Canada, etc.

Q6) How will Health Canada use the comments and information generated by the workshop and what are the next steps?

A6) Health Canada will use the information gathered from the workshop to assist in the development of policy options for regulatory proposals regarding the provision of infertility counselling services. The Department anticipates holding additional consultations towards the development of these proposals.

Q7) Will there be other workshops or consultations on infertility counselling before the regulations in this area are established?

A7) Health Canada will provide additional public involvement opportunities for various stakeholder groups and other interested parties as part of the development of regulatory proposals regarding s. 14(2)(b) (counselling) of the Assisted Human Reproduction Act. These activities may include a variety of public involvement methods, such as the publication of consultation documents, workshops, and information gathering sessions. Information concerning the public involvement activities associated with the development of the components of the Act's regulatory framework will be posted on Health Canada's Web site at: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca.