Marital functioning and treatment outcome in couples undergoing assisted reproduction.

It is necessary to support the couple from the assisted reproduction centres, promoting cohesion, flexibility, and communication in the relationship. The intervention process should also be understood from a systemic perspective; that is, considering dyadic transactions as a systemic unit. Two aspects seem to be especially relevant for clinical nurses in ART: (a) the man's role is crucial for treatment success; (b) the woman's communication is crucial to the process.