Interdisciplinary experience of humanities: the department of social work and rehabilitation became a co-organizer of the All-Ukrainian scientific-practical conference "Psychology and ethics in reproductive medicine: a multidisciplinary approach"
Man is an extremely complex construct. More than one generation of researchers has tried to understand this phenomenon. With the development of modern humanities and the deepening of specific knowledge within each of them (no wonder doctors joke that soon one ear will be treated by one specialist, and the other - will specialize another), modern scientists and practitioners are faced with the need to integrate knowledge and experience to see the object of his research - man - in all its diversity and complexity, to find answers to numerous questions and needs that arose at the intersection of different branches of knowledge and, finally, to find the truth.
On June 4, the All-Ukrainian scientific-practical conference "Psychology and ethics in reproductive medicine: a multidisciplinary approach" took place at the faculty of humanities and pedagogy of NULES of Ukraine. Due to the need to comply with quarantine requirements, the event was held in a mixed format - some participants took part offline, some - online. In total, the conference was attended by 240 participants, including from abroad
On the official page of the Ukrainian Association of psychosomatics of reproductive perinatal psychology on Facebook, an on-line broadcast of the conference took place, which allowed to expand the boundaries of educational activities and social information of the population of Ukraine and abroad.
The event was initiated by the SO “Association “Ukrainian Association of psychosomatics of reproductive perinatal psychology”. President of this association and at the same time the founder of the Institute of reproductive perinatal psychology of psychosomatics in Ukraine and a lecturer at the department of general and medical psychology of O.O. Bogomolets NMU Antonina Nakonechna addressed a proposal for our university to become a co-organizer of the conference included in the Register of summits, congresses, symposiums and scientific and practical conferences of the Ministry of Health and the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine. NULES of Ukraine, faculty of humanities and pedagogy, joining the organization, not only hospitably opened its doors and provided its training space for a scientific discussion, but also offered its vision of the issues of reproductive medicine.
And this is significant. Opening the conference, vice-rector for research and innovation Vadym Kondratyuk noted that twenty years ago, during his studies at the faculty of zooengineering, the university discussed issues and problems of reproductive medicine (this fact of the origins of modern reproductive medicine from research in zooengineering In her report, Halyna Strelko, MD, member of the Ukrainian, European and American Associations of reproductologists.
Inna Savytska, acting dean of the faculty of humanities and pedagogy, addressed the participants of the conference with a welcoming speech and wishes of fruitful work. She stressed the relevance of the conference's topics during the depopulation and noted the complexity and variety of topics planned for discussion
The block of medical information covered by specialists-practitioners from the clinic of reproductive medicine "Ivimed" became interesting and extremely rich in content. When receiving patients on a daily basis, dealing with cryo-freezing of oocytes, sperm, embryos and transplantation of the latter, knowing for sure all the psychological and social problems of their clients, these professionals emphasized that the doctor is mostly focused on the so-called technical aspects of the process. At the same time, it is important that specialists from other fields work with the patient - psychologists, social workers, lawyers, etc. This is becoming an urgent need, as there are many related problems associated with the processes of reproduction - educational work, psychological support for infertile families and clients of insemination programs, medical and social support of families during medical interventions. The need to inform about this was imbued with the report "Preservation of Fertility" by the chief physician of the clinic "Ivimed", MD, a member of the Ukrainian, European and American Associations of reproductologists Halyna Strelko. By the way, as an expert, Halyna Volodymyrivna debunked the widespread myth in the media that Russian pop star Alla Pugacheva became pregnant by cryopreserving her eggs in her youth and explained why it was impossible.
In the co-report "Donation of oocytes. Medical and Embryological Aspects ”obstetrician-gynecologist, reproductive specialist of Ivimed Clinic, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Secretary of the Ukrainian Association of reproductive medicine, member of the Ukrainian and German Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, German Association for the protection of reproductive functions in patients with oncology Oksana Onyschuk and her colleague Olha Malyuta, a senior embryologist at the Ivymed Clinic, professionally and popularly told the participants about egg donation, technical aspects of cryo-freezing and thawing of biomaterial, bank of oocytes, prospects for the future and much more. , by the way, there were many people who, pursuing a professional activity as a psychologist or teacher, also received medical education.
These are the trends of modern education - you will rarely meet a specialist who has only one diploma and has worked all his life in one job. This is another aspect of multidisciplinarity.
At the same time, the participants of the conference were filled with respect for the speakers - specialists of the reproductive clinic as people who, like a demiurge, give couples who are desperate to have children, the happiness of parenthood. Here it is appropriate to mention the words of the embryologist: "We think that the most important events in our lives are the end of university and the wedding, but in fact it is blastulation and gastrulation" (these are the processes of stages of embryonic development).
The scientific discussion was continued by the President of the Ukrainian Association of psychosomatics of reproductive perinatal psychology, the founder of the Institute of reproductive perinatal psychology of psychosomatics in Ukraine, a lecturer at the department of general and medical psychology of O.O. Bohomolets NMU Antonina Nakonechna.
In her report "Peculiarities of the psychological health of women of reproductive age" Antonina Volodymyrivna stressed the need to introduce the position of a psychologist in the staff of reproductive clinics. Constantly working with this category of clients at different stages of insemination programs, the speaker shared considerable experience and results of her research.
Urologist of the Institute of Urology of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine Stepan Husakovskyi in the report "Male fertility. Modern View "shared observations on the preservation of men's ability to be a father and stressed that success will await only the infertile couple who will be able to support each other - psychologically, physically, emotionally - on the way to the desired pregnancy.
The participants of the conference were very interested in the report "Legal aspects of assisted reproductive technologies" by medical lawyer Olena Babich, who since 2003 has been providing legal support for assisted reproductive technologies and surrogacy programs. As it turned out, Ukrainian law does not prescribe all the rules so that every spouse who dares to donate eggs or sperm, or surrogacy, or in vitro fertilization (IVF), which is popularly called "test tube babies", feels in legal security. Participants heard examples of various legal conflicts, such as how the fate of a frozen embryo or other genetic material is decided in the legal field if one of the spouses dies or divorces and a new family is formed.
These aspects are particularly relevant, given that Ukraine is in a state of military conflict, and many men, going to the forefront, resort to the transfer of genetic material, or to the freezing of embryos.
A very valuable view was presented at the conference on the problems of reproduction of the client himself. Participants heard the experience and vision of the situation of Maryna Molchanova - writer, author of the book "In vitro", a book that for the first time in Ukraine told about assisted reproductive technologies through the eyes of the patient. Ms. Marina spoke about her attempts to get pregnant, about the difficult clinical situations that happened to her along the way, about the need for physicians to follow not only standard protocols but also clinical thinking (because there is so much still undiscovered in this new field) and offered each client considered a "commercial project", the result of which should be a healthy child. The speaker also shared that conversations with psychologists helped her to get out of morally and physically difficult situations, so, in addition to doctors, it will be appropriate to have representatives of other professions next to the patient.
Doctor, homeopath, psychotherapist, owner of the medical center Demyan Popov in the report "Family and birth programs - their impact on human reproductive function" said that each person accumulates the experience of his parents - mother and father and all their predecessors . Therefore, the key thesis of Demyan Volodymyrovych was the right of every child to know who his biological parents are, even with the use of additional reproductive technologies (donor sperm, eggs, surrogacy). Citing examples of legislation in different countries, where the delivery of biomaterial for reproductive needs is not anonymous, the speaker stressed the need to repeal the Ukrainian legislation on donor anonymity, because everyone throughout his life will seek their biological parents and answers to questions arising during implementation her ancestral program.
Candidate of pedagogical sciences, senior lecturer of the department of social work and rehabilitation of NULES of Ukraine Olena Varava in the report "Childbearing orientations of the family as a socio-psychological problem of Ukrainian society" updated the value orientations of modern youth regarding the birth of children. Analyzing the category of "motherhood" as a social institution that occupies a prominent place in the activities of social workers, social services and considered from the standpoint of biological (reproductive function), social (educational function), legal sphere, Olena said that in every culture there is a whole institution motherhood, which includes various ways of raising a woman as a mother, not all of which are conscious. The importance of the ethnocultural context for the construction of modern experiences of motherhood, in particular, attitudes to infertility, single mothers, the birth of children out of wedlock, stereotypical understanding of femininity (femininity) only through the concept of "motherhood" (if not mother - then not a woman, at least , not full). The struggle of two discourses is relevant for Ukrainian society - the conservative-religious prolife (anti-abortion movement) and the democratic pro-government (the movement for reproductive choice, which defends the right of women to have abortions). Today there is a problem of attitude to the queer family, overcoming stereotypical, stigmatized images of transgenderism and homosexuality. Theses on the impact of feminism on motherhood and the need to take into account gender equality and empower women have aroused considerable interest. Arguments of childfree supporters, or why people do not want to have children, were also investigated; aspects of social work with a young family are covered. After all, the child-bearing value orientations of Ukrainian society are constantly being transformed..
Ukrainian society is only approaching the realization of the need to form multidisciplinary working groups of doctors, psychologists, physiotherapists, priests and social workers, i.e. teams of medical and social professionals. Abroad, the experience of intersectoral cooperation in the process of providing human assistance in the field of health care and socio-pedagogical support of motherhood and childhood has already been gained.
Psychologist, psychotherapist in the field of psychodrama, instructor in preparation for childbirth Irina Tuley showed the conference participants psychological methods of work and support of couples with reproductive health and told about their effectiveness.
Thus, at the conference there was an exchange of practical experience between domestic scientists, doctors, psychologists, lawyers and related specialists working in the field of reproductive medicine. The faculty of humanities and pedagogy of NULES of Ukraine also joined this discussion. After all, preserving the health of the population in Ukraine goes beyond a purely medical issue and becomes a nationwide problem that needs to be addressed at the national level.
Olena Varava,
senior lecturer at the department of social work and rehabilitation
