BACKGROUND: There are few studies of couples that analyse satisfaction with treatment, adoption plans and relationships in couples after unsuccessful IVF. METHODS: ENRICH marital inventory was used to describe marital dynamics and to gain information about treatment and adoption plans. A specially designed questionnaire was used. Of the 51 couples without previous children who were asked to participate after their first failed IVF cycle, 45 participated. The next stage of the study was carried out when the couples had reached the 6 months point after the first IVF cycle, and the last stage after the couples had been through one to three treatments, 1 1 2 years after the last treatment. RESULTS: The couples displayed a stable relationship from the start as well as 1 year after the last IVF cycle. The vast majority of the couples had decided to go through with an adoption. Seventy-three per cent of the women were interested in more IVF treatment compared to 33% of the men. CONCLUSION: The stresses associated with IVF treatment did not have a negative impact on the couples' appreciation of their relationships during and after the treatment period. After treatment had been completed, the couples seemed to have reoriented themselves toward other solutions to childlessness.

The differences present between the groups were in favour of the IVF families, and the effects of the infertility crisis were not notable when the children were 1 year old.

The stability and the content of zinc of the chromatin were studied in spermatozoa from ten men with unexplained infertility, and in spermatozoa from five fertile donors. A positive relation was found between zinc in sperm nuclei (X-ray microanalysis) and the resistance of the chromatin to decondense in sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS). The infertile men had lower degree of sperm chromatin stability and lower sperm zinc content than the fertile donors. A subgroup of the infertile men, which all had minor clinical signs of prostatic inflammatory reaction, had the lowest content of zinc in the chromatin and the lowest degree of chromatin stability. A low content of nuclear zinc would impair the structural stability of the chromatin and thereby increase the vulnerability of the male genome. This mechanism may be one explanation for the reduced fertility of the men with minor inflammation of the prostate.

Couples who conceived a child through donor insemination are open about the donor insemination, both to other people in their surroundings and in their intention to tell the child. These families seem to be functioning well with relaxed attitudes towards the donor insemination process.

Zinc-binding properties were studied in 'prostatic fluid', i.e. in seminal plasma from patients with agenesis of the Wolffian ducts, and in split-ejaculate fractions dominated by seminal vesicular fluid. The effect of seminal fluid, with different zinc-binding properties, on the stability of zinc-dependent sperm chromatin was assessed by exposing sperm to 1% sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) for 60 min. Citrate was the only zinc ligand in 'prostatic fluid', as revealed by gel chromatography. Zinc in this fluid enhanced the stability of sperm chromatin. In contrast, the stability of sperm chromatin was decreased in seminal plasma dominated by vesicular fluid. These results are in accordance with the concept that prostatic fluid ensures the appropriate zinc content and stability of sperm chromatin, whereas abundance of vesicular fluid may jeopardize chromatin stability by reducing chromatin zinc content.

The composition of seminal plasma in the sperm-rich split ejaculate fraction was studied in a group of men with a low zinc content in their sperm chromatin, to evaluate the availability of zinc at ejaculation. Men with low-chromatin zinc had, in the sperm-rich split-ejaculate fraction, high amounts of seminal-vesicular fluid, a low zinc:fructose molar ratio, and a high percentage of zinc bound to high molecular weight ligands of seminal vesicular origin (HMW-Zn). This indicates premature admixture of vesicular fluid at ejaculation. It is suggested that the zinc:fructose molar ratio and HMW-Zn in the sperm-rich fractions could be used as a measure of the availability of zinc in seminal plasma.

The students have not achieved sufficient knowledge concerning sexual and reproductive matters that they, according to the national curriculum, should have attained by the end of the 9th grade. An improvement of the quality of the education, adapted to the students' age and pre-existing knowledge, and a review of the contents of the education is therefore needed.

Ejaculated and vasal sperm were obtained from men referred for vasectomy, and sperm nuclear elements were determined by X-ray microanalysis. Sperm head zinc concentrations, expressed as the ratio Zinc to Sulphur, were significantly higher in ejaculated than in vasal sperm. A physiological sperm nuclear zinc uptake is discussed in relation to sperm chromatin decondensation.