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IICO [International Infertility Counseling Organization]

The meeting agenda is listed below but please note:

• Reports from the various organizations: Chairs: a brief report from every infertility counseling organization should be sent to me ASAP. If you have a representative attending IICO who can provide a summary please send me their name and contact information. If you are aware of any new organizations please notify me. 

• Download Agenda (Adobe PDF):IICO Business Meeting Agenda ASRM 2007 Washington, DC
  

I look forward to seeing soon at ASRM 2007 in Washington, DC. Come prepared to report on what your organization is doing and bring your ideas on how we can work together to improve practice standards and patient care.

The goals and purposes of the International Infertility Counseling Organization:

1. Encourage and support international cooperation and education among mental health professionals working in the field of reproductive health psychology  and promote a greater  understanding of the psychological of infertility, standards of care and practice, cultural dimensions, and legal and ethical issues  impacting patients undergoing treatment for reproductive health issues worldwide
2. Establish an affiliation with other infertility counseling organizations worldwide by supporting the organization of current professional infertility counseling associations. 
3. Encourage and support the establishment of additional professional infertility counseling organizations worldwide.
4. To establish global professional standards and practice guidelines for the provision of psychological care regarding reproductive issues.
5. Organize regular meetings on international infertility counseling at regular intervals in conjunction with the purpose of providing educational opportunities and professional collaboration.
6. Encourage the education of professionals addressing the importance of psychosocial support services in conjunction with medical care. 
7. Establish professional standards and guidelines for the psychosocial care and treatment of infertile patients.

Upcoming IICO Meetings

Updates on Infertility Counseling Associations: 

• BICA (British Infertility Counseling Association) has new Infertility Counselling Guidelines in a booklet  and downloadable PDF file at http://bica.22plus3.co.uk/Files/GuidelinesforGoodPractice.pdf  
• BKID (Beratungsnetzwerk Kinderwunsch Deutschland   BkiD Germany) has (in English) Guidelines "Psychosocial Infertility Counselling" of BKiD which are also available as downloadable PDF file at www.bkid.de/engl/bkid_pic_guidelines.pdf 
• ASRM/MHPG counseling guidelines are available via ASRM’s website at http://www.asrm.org/ 
• ESHRE/PSIG plans are underway to update ESHRE’s 1999 Guidelines in Infertility Counseling which are available in English as a downloadable PDF file at http://www.eshre.com/ 
• Several organizations including ASRM and BICA are in the process of developing a list of patient educational materials on third-party reproduction. Consider contributing to this project and/or posting the results on IICO’s website. IICO could also use research and book reviewers. Volunteer today and forward your submissions to members of the IICO executive committee. 
• IICO’s website now has information on all current organizations and offers a comparison of current organizations (based on a chart originally designed by Jean Haase, MSW (Canada) and Eric Blyth, MSW (United Kingdom) for a textbook on infertility counseling (Infertility Counseling: A Comprehensive Handbook for Clinicians, Covington & Burns, editors, Cambridge University Press, 2006).  If you would like your organization on the website, please contact the website designer Prashanth Rao at (prao@arkiom.com).  Also feel free to send me or Prashanth Rao any educational opportunities in your area that you think would be of interest to IICO members. Also note that many of the national organizations (e.g., Bkid) have links to IICO’s website. Consider putting a link to IICO on your website or information on your meetings and educational courses on IICO’s website. Finally special note to chairs and members: please send a representative to the next meeting or an email to me for the next IICO meeting at ESHRE/2007.
• The next IICO meeting will be at ESHRE 2007 in Lyon, France. The time and date of the meeting has not yet been determined so information on this will follow as well as the meeting agenda.  However, Petra Thorn (vice chair) has made arrangements for a social event on Sunday evening at 8:00 pm at Le Canut Sans Cervelle Restaurant (http://www.le-canut-sans-cervelle.fr/) located at 4 bis rue 14 et 16 rue Dumenge, Lyon.  Petra has reserved a table for 20-25 people but the number attending must be confirmed no later than June 15, 2007.  Please email me (burns023@umn.edu) or Petra (mail@pthorn.de) if you plan to attend the dinner.  Many thanks to Petra for these plans. She made the IICO dinner reservations at ESHRE 2006 in Prague and it was truly a wonderful international experience and adventure. We expect this dinner to be equally memorable and hope to see you there

IICO NEEDS YOU!

IICO is a volunteer organization made up of medical and mental health professionals working in reproductive medicine. But we need your help so please volunteer. Any and all help (including funding) will be gratefully accepted. This is your organization and your contributions will make it not only more valuable to the field of reproductive health counseling but also to professional development and ultimately patient care.  If you are willing and able to volunteer some time toward any IICO projects please contact the following: 

• Organization, updates, educational ideas: Linda Hammer Burns, Ph.D. burns023@umn.edu; Jacky Boivin, PhD Boivin@cardiff.ac.uk; Janet Takefman janet_takefman@hotmail.com;  Sheila Pike sheilapike@hotmail.com; Petra Thorn mail@pthorn.de
• ASRM/GLASMI/IICO postgraduate course: Corrine Palatchi (cpalatchi@gmail.com)
• Website development and input: Linda Applegarth (lia2004@med.cornell.edu) or Prashanth Rao (webmaster) at  (prao@arkiom.com)
• Fund-raising: Janet Takefman (janet_takefman@hotmail.com)

I look forward to seeing those of you who can attend ESHRE 2007 in Lyon, France. Come prepared to report on what your organization is doing and how we can all work together for better counseling practices to all patients worldwide.

Linda
Linda Hammer Burns, Ph.D.
burns023@umn.edu
Reproductive Medicine Center
University of Minnesota Medical School
606 24th Avenue South, Suite 500
Minneapolis, MN 55454
612-627-4542 secretary
612-627-4888 fax