Women Undergoing Infertility Treatment Research Articles

Prevalence and severity of depression and anxiety in infertile female patients attending an academic hospital in central South Africa

Background. Infertility has an incidence of 15 - 20% in South Africa (SA). It may lead to the development of psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression. Objective. To determine the prevalence of depression and anxiety among infertile women attending the Infertility Clinic at a tertiary hospital in central SA. Methods. In this prospective analytic cross-sectional study, information captured included sociodemographic variables such as age, employment status, type and duration of infertility, marital status, type of marriage and education level. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) test were used to screen for depression and anxiety, respectively.Results. In total, 100 of 108 infertile women completed all the questionnaires correctly. Forty-two (42.0%) of the patients were >35 years and 58.0% were married, with five (8.6%) being in a polygamous marriage. Fifty-three (53.0%) women had never been pregnant before. The prevalence of depression was 53.0%, with 45.0% of these patients showing moderate to moderately severe levels of depression. The level of education was significantly associated with depression (p<0.025). Half of the participants (50.0%) screened positive for anxiety, with 12 (24.0%) having severe anxiety. In total, 40.0% of the participants screened positive for both anxiety and depression. No statistically significant association was observed between depression or anxiety and age, duration of infertility, marital status and employment status. Conclusions. Depression and anxiety disorders are common and often underdiagnosed in women undergoing infertility treatment. Practitioners should screen for these conditions at the initial patient presentation and refer patients for psychological support.

The profile of steroid hormones in human fetal and adult ovaries.

Reproduction in women is at risk due to exposure to chemicals that can disrupt the endocrine system during different windows of sensitivity throughout life. Steroid hormone levels are fundamental for the normal development and function of the human reproductive system, including the ovary. This study aims to elucidate steroidogenesis at different life-stages in human ovaries. We have developed a sensitive and specific LC-MS/MS method for 21 important steroid hormones and measured them at different life stages: in media from cultures of human fetal ovaries collected from elective terminations of normally progressing pregnancy and in media from adult ovaries from Caesarean section patients, and follicular fluid from women undergoing infertility treatment. Statistically significant differences in steroid hormone levels and their ratios were calculated with parametric tests. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to explore clustering of the ovarian-derived steroidogenic profiles. Comparison of the 21 steroid hormones revealed clear differences between the various ovarian-derived steroid profiles. Interestingly, we found biosynthesis of both canonical and "backdoor" pathway steroid hormones and corticosteroids in first and second trimester fetal and adult ovarian tissue cultures. 17α-estradiol, a less potent naturally occurring isomer of 17β-estradiol, was detected only in follicular fluid. PCA of the ovarian-derived profiles revealed clusters from: adult ovarian tissue cultures with relatively high levels of androgens; first trimester and second trimester fetal ovarian tissue cultures with relatively low estrogen levels; follicular fluid with the lowest androgens, but highest corticosteroid, progestogen and estradiol levels. Furthermore, ratios of specific steroid hormones showed higher estradiol/ testosterone and estrone/androstenedione (indicating higher CYP19A1 activity, p < 0.01) and higher 17-hydroxyprogesterone/progesterone and dehydroepiandrosterone /androstenedione (indicating higher CYP17A1 activity, p < 0.01) in fetal compared to adult ovarian tissue cultures. Human ovaries demonstrate de novo synthesis of non-canonical and "backdoor" pathway steroid hormones and corticosteroids. Elucidating the steroid profiles in human ovaries improves our understanding of physiological, life-stage dependent, steroidogenic capacity of ovaries and will inform mechanistic studies to identify endocrine disrupting chemicals that affect female reproduction.

Influence of medical and social factors on patients’ satisfaction at the center for reproduction and family planning with medical care

BACKGROUND: The constant increase in the number of commercial medical organisations providing medical care using assisted reproductive technology (ART) and compulsory medical insurance funds necessitates the need to control the quality of medical services in this area. An important tool for this control is conducting sociological surveys of women undergoing infertility treatment using in vitro fertilisation (IVF) both in paid and free forms.&#x0D; MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a random sampling method, an anonymous survey was conducted on 398 patients of the Center for Reproduction and Family Planning in St. Petersburg, which provided medical care for infertility treatment using ART both at the expense of compulsory medical insurance and in paid form. The significance of differences in indicators was assessed using Student’s t-test for quantitative indicators. The significance of differences between qualitative characteristics was checked using contingency tables and Pearson’s chi-square test (χ2). Differences were considered significant at р 0.05.&#x0D; RESULTS: Despite the high level of patient satisfaction with the provision of medical care using ART, 9.0% of women were partially or completely dissatisfied. Compulsory medical insurance funds were paid for infertility treatment using IVF for 12.1% of patients. The majority of patients paid for medical care themselves (87.9%), of which 13.1% of women believed that the cost of medical services in the center was excessive (χ2=29.08; р=0.000), and 10.9% thought that the cost does not correspond to the level of medical services provided (χ2=25.74; р=0.000). There was no significant influence of age (χ2=4.78; р=0.311), place of residence (χ2=1.79; р=0.409), presence of children (χ2=2.21; р=0.331), employment (χ2=2.91; р=0.233) and forms of payment for treatment (χ2=4.69; р=0.096) on the distribution of patients according to the degree of satisfaction with medical care. At the same time, it was determined that marital status (χ2=6.88; р=0.032) and income level (χ2=60.01; р=0.000) are factors that influence the degree of satisfaction of women with infertility treatment using ART.&#x0D; CONCLUSION: Many medical and social factors have been identified to significantly affect satisfaction with medical care, such as the patient’s marital status and income level. Simultaneously, the economic form of payment for treatment did not have a significant effect on the degree of satisfaction.

Depression in women undergoing infertility treatment: A clinic-based study in Kerala, India.

Depression in women undergoing infertility treatment: A clinic-based study in Kerala, India.

Anxiety, Depression, and Quality of Life Among Infertile Women: A Case-Control Study.

Introduction Pregnancy holds significant cultural and social value for women. However, women facing challenges in conceiving often grapple with emotional distress, including depression and anxiety. The connection between psychological elements (stress, anxiety, and depression) and infertility is complex, influenced by multiple factors, and bidirectional. Infertile women are more likely to develop mental illnesses, marital dissatisfaction, and impaired quality of life compared to the individuals of the fertile group. Thus, the study aimed to assess levels of anxiety, depression, and quality of life among infertile women compared to fertile women. Methods This case-control study conducted at a tertiary care center recruited 100 nulliparous women between the age group of 20 and 38 years with primary or secondary infertility, while those with male factor infertility were excluded. The control group (N=100) comprised normal parous women who had at least one child. The primary objective of the study was to assess the impact of infertility on the mental health and quality of life of women seeking infertility treatment. Outcome measures included standardized tools such as the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire to assess the quality of life across multiple domains (e.g., physical, psychological, social, and environmental) as well as the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) to measure levels of anxiety, depression, and stress. Cronbach's alpha was used to measure the tool's reliability. A P value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Baseline sociodemographic parameters were comparable between the two groups. The mean age of infertile women was 30.6±3.9 years compared to 31.5±3.2 years in fertile women (P=0.076). Using the WHOQOL-BREF scale, we found that the quality of life was better in the fertile group compared to the infertile group through all the physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains (P<0.001). The infertile group had a significantly higher number of women with anxiety, depression, and stress. The questionnaires showed high internal reliability. Conclusion Infertile women experienced a lower quality of life in various domains, higher levels of anxiety, and increased rates of depression compared to fertile counterparts. The study findings underscore the multidimensional impact of infertility, emphasizing the need for comprehensive healthcare approaches to address the psychosocial challenges faced by women undergoing infertility treatment.

Depressive symptoms among women undergoing infertility treatment by in vitro fertilization and some associated factors at the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2023

Depressive symptoms among women undergoing infertility treatment by in vitro fertilization and some associated factors at the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2023

Proposal for a system to identify the causes and triggers of stress in infertility patients

This paper aims to classify the types of stress experienced by women undergoing infertility treatment in Japan and to clarify the causes of such stress. To achieve this, tweets posted by infertility patients were used to identify the causes of stress through a learning model, followed by dependency analysis. A system is proposed to extract causal relations using dependency analysis, where the dependents are the causes and the leaders are the effects. The study focuses on the stress experienced by infertility patients and limits the analysis to "family issues" and "work." Consequently, the incentives for the causes were clarified.

Ab. No. 107 Effects of Yogasana on Anthropometric Indices and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Symptoms in Women Undergoing Infertility Treatment: An Interventional Study

Introduction: Prevalence of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) varies from 6.5 to 19.9% worldwide. Major symptoms include hormonal imbalances, irregular periods, excess androgen levels, and ovarian cysts leading to infertility. Yogasana is an important factor in improving physical and mental symptoms, as well as hormonal and metabolic parameters, thereby addressing various diseases. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of Yogasana on BMI, FSH: LH ratio, and ultrasonography in patients with PCOS. Yogasana is a crucial component of physiotherapy treatment techniques that can target patients with PCOS. Methods: After screening for inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 31 subjects were included using sequential sampling techniques. At the end of 3 months, only 12 patients completed the treatment. All patients received a total of 60 minutes of treatment protocol, five days per week, including: 10 minutes of warm-up, 40 minutes of Yogasana (sitting, prone, and supine poses), 10 minutes of meditation, Baseline criteria for age, BMI, duration of suffering from the disease, FSH:LH ratio, and ultrasonography were recorded. Results: All the patients were women with a mean age of 31 ± 4 years, diagnosed with PCOS by ultrasonography, suffering for a mean of 14 ± 5 years. The Shapiro-Wilk test indicated that the data were not normally distributed. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was applied to pre and post-treatment data of BMI, FSH:LH ratio, ultrasonography, showing significant improvement in all parameters (P &lt; 0.05). Conclusion: PCOS is a chronic condition that cannot be cured; however, some symptoms can be improved through yogasana. Implications: Yogasana should be incorporated into the treatment of patients with PCOS to reinforce positive results.

Gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnancies conceived after infertility treatment: a population-based study in the United States, 2015–2020

To evaluate the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in singleton pregnancies conceived using infertility treatment and examine the influence of race and ethnicity as well as prepregnancy body mass index (BMI). Cross-sectional study using the US vital records data of women that delivered singleton births. United States, 2015-2020. Any infertility treatment was divided into two groups: those that used fertility-enhancing drugs, artificial insemination, or intrauterine insemination, and those that used assisted reproductive technology (ART). Gestational diabetes mellitus, defined as a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus during pregnancy, includes both diet-controlled GDM and medication-controlled GDM in singleton pregnancies conceived with infertility treatment or spontaneously and delivered between 20- and 44-weeks' gestation. We also examined whether the infertility treatment-GDM association was modified by maternal race and ethnicity as well as prepregnancy BMI. Associations were expressed as a rate ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI), derived from log-linear models after adjustment for potential confounders. A total of 21,943,384 singleton births were included, with 1.5% (n = 318,086) undergoing infertility treatment. Rates of GDM among women undergoing infertility treatment and those who conceived spontaneously were 11.0% (n = 34,946) and 6.5% (n = 1,398,613), respectively (adjusted RR 1.24, 95% CI 1.23, 1.26). The RRs were adjusted for maternal age, parity, education, race and ethnicity, smoking, BMI, chronic hypertension, and year of delivery. The risk of GDM was modestly increased for those using fertility-enhancing drugs (adjusted RR 1.28, 95% CI 1.27, 1.30) compared with ART (adjusted RR 1.18, 95% CI 1.17, 1.20), and this risk was especially apparent for non-Hispanic White women (adjusted RR 1.29, 95% CI 1.26, 1.31) and Hispanic women (adjusted RR 1.35, 95% CI 1.29, 1.41). The number of women who needed to be exposed to infertility treatment to diagnose one case of GDM was 46. Prepregnancy BMI did not modify the infertility treatment-GDM association overall and within strata of race and ethnicity. These general patterns were stronger after potential corrections for misclassification of infertility treatment and unmeasured confounding. Infertility treatment, among those who received fertility-enhancing drugs, is associated with an increased GDM risk. The persistently higher risk of GDM among women who seek infertility treatment, irrespective of prepregnancy weight classification, deserves attention. Infertility specialists must be vigilant with preconception counseling and ensure that all patients, regardless ofrace and ethnicity or BMI, are adequately tested for GDM early in pregnancy using a fasting blood glucose level or a traditional 50-g oral glucose tolerance test. Testing may be completed by the infertility specialist or deferred to the primary prenatal care provider at the first prenatal visit.

PSYCHOSEXUAL CARE COULD PROTECT and PROMOTE SEXUAL WELL-BEING in WOMEN UNDERGOING INFERTILITY TREATMENT: a RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

ABSTRACT Sexual well-being plays a central role in promoting the health and well-being of women undergoing infertility treatment. However, because of the predominance of the biomedical approach, most studies focus on women’s sexual function levels and how to improve them. There is little knowledge about how sexual well-being could be promoted in infertile women by using a health-oriented approach, as presented in the Model. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of psychosexual care using the conceptual framework of the Salutogenic Model in promoting sexual well-being in women undergoing infertility treatment. This was a two-armed parallel randomised controlled trial. Seventy women with primary infertility undergoing infertility treatment were randomly assigned to receive either psychosexual care (intervention group, n = 35) or routine care (control group, n = 35). The psychosexual care program lasted 4 weeks and was aimed at delivering knowledge, support, and skills that may provide resources to women for the promotion of their sexual well-being. The primary outcome was sexual well-being; secondary outcomes included depression and sense of coherence. The effects of psychosexual care were estimated by the t-test with the intention-to-treat principle. Sexual function was improved in the intervention group and significantly reduced in the control group. Sexual satisfaction was preserved in the intervention group and significantly reduced in the control group. Sexual esteem and self-efficacy significantly improved in women after psychosexual care compared with routine care. Although depression levels were improved in the intervention group, the difference in depression levels was not statistically significant between the intervention and the control groups. However, sense of coherence was significantly improved in the intervention group compared with the control group. Psychosexual care protected and promoted sexual well-being in women undergoing infertility treatment. Application of the health-oriented Salutogenesis Model may be useful to develop care interventions that enable women to reach a state of sexual well-being.

P-118 Are cumulus cells required during in vitro maturation of human oocytes at the germinal vesicle stage? a systematic review

Abstract Study question Does the presence of cumulus cells affect the in vitro maturation (IVM) rate of human oocytes at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage obtained in vivo? Summary answer The oocyte maturation and fertilization rates are higher in the presence of cumulus cells (CC) comparing with their absence in the culture system. What is known already According to the ESHRE guidelines IVM is currently not considered experimental, but nevertheless it is not very often used in reproductive medicine clinics. Accumulated data of more than 30 years of existence of IVM method can present to us how effective is the level of oocytes maturation in vitro obtained by aspiration follicles in vivo. Some studies reported that oocytes were matured after denudation, and in others they are cultured in cumulus oocyte complexes or in the presence of CC. Therefore, a comparison of oocyte maturation at the GV stage with and without CC was performed in this study. Study design, size, duration We searched Medline and Embase up to January 10, 2023. Full texts of classical articles, clinical studies, clinical trials, clinical trial protocols, comparative studies, controlled clinical trials, multicentre studies, randomized controlled trials were included Participants/materials, setting, methods Participants were women undergoing infertility treatment with IVM. All oocytes from the included studies were obtained by follicular aspiration in vivo. Main results and the role of chance A preliminary screening of the word combination “human oocyte in vitro maturation” yielded 355 results, from which 42 were original publications with full-text. Selected papers included a full description of the stimulation protocol, maturation medium, and the group of immature oocytes consisted of gametes only at the GV stage. A total of 24,649 GV oocytes were examined for IVM rate. The average of oocyte maturity was 61.5 ± 10.7%. However, the distribution of oocyte maturation data depending on the presence or absents of CC in the culture media. The maturation rate was higher in oocytes with cumulus cells than in denuded oocytes without cumulus (64.7% vs 53.5%, respectively, p˂0.05). The fertilization rate had the same tendency (69.2% vs. 59.5%, p˂0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the groups in embryo development up to the cleavage stage (74.9% vs 76.5%, p &amp;gt; 0.05). Unfortunately, there are very only a few studies that provide data on the more advanced stages of embryo development as a blastocyst, which does not allow a large sample to be made for any IVM method. Limitations, reasons for caution This study does not take into account the influence of stimulation protocols and the composition of the maturation medium, which may in turn also affect the results of oocyte IVM. Wider implications of the findings The obtained data can be used for comparison with new maturation protocols that will be aimed at increasing the maturation rates, in addition, these data are important for comparing the efficacy of maturation obtained from ovaries outside the body for the purpose of preserving fertility. Trial registration number not applicable

Impact of Organizational and Supervisory Support Perceptions on the Turnover Intentions of Working Mothers-to-Be

The purpose of the paper is to examine the various factors that influence turnover intentions of working women at the threshold of motherhood. The impact and interrelationships of variables like organisational and supervisory support perceptions, flexible-work-options, work-family conflict, job and family satisfaction, and their effect on turnover intentions are examined. A questionnaire survey of 203 working women of three categories—women undergoing infertility treatment, pregnant women, and new mothers of the Indian IT sector—was conducted and hypotheses tested through structural equation modelling. Results validated the model developed and confirmed the causal relationships whereby employees working in family-supportive work environments experienced lower levels of work-family conflict, and reduced work-family conflict thereby led to greater job and family satisfaction followed by lesser turnover intentions. The study reiterates the need for organisations to offer specific policies that allow working-women to continue their careers as they go through motherhood.

Predictors and incidence of depression and anxiety in women undergoing infertility treatment: A cross-sectional study.

The global incidence of infertility is increasing year by year, and the association between infertility and mental illness has been widely concerned. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of anxiety and depression in infertile women in China and explore the risk factors which might lead to anxiety and depression. From January 2020 to December 2020, female infertile patients who received assisted reproduction technology (ART) treatment at West China Second Hospital were recruited and a total of 1712 eligible female patients were finally enrolled in this study. Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionaire-9 (PHQ-9) were used to evaluate the patients' psychological status. The reliability of all scales was evaluated by Cronbach's α and Spearman-Brown half coefficient, and Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) value was calculated by factor analysis to evaluate validity. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were applied for assessing independent risk factors of anxiety and depression, respectively. The incidence of anxiety and depression in infertile women were 25.2% and 31.3%, respectively. Cronbach's α coefficients and Spearman-Brown half-fold coefficients of GAD-7 and PHQ-9 were 0.870, 0.825, 0.852 and 0.793, respectively. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that education level (junior college degree or above, OR:1. 6, 95% CI: 1.2-2.1, P = 0.003), somatic symptoms (severe somatic symptoms, OR:15.2, 95%CI: 5.6-41.3, P<0.001), sleep quality (poor sleep quality, OR:9.3, 95% CI:4.7-18.4, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for anxiety. And age>35 years old, moderate and severe somatic symptoms and poor sleep quality were independent risk factors for depression. Somatic symptoms and poor sleep quality are both the risk factors of anxiety and depression symptoms of infertile woman. And high educated (junior college degree or above) patients are more likely to be complicated with anxiety symptoms, while elderly patients (age>35) are prone to be complicated with depression symptoms.

Characterization of ovarian tissue oocytes from transgender men reveals poor calcium release and embryo development, which might be overcome by spindle transfer.

Can spindle transfer (ST) overcome inferior embryonic development of in vitro matured ovarian tissue oocytes (OTO-IVM) originating from testosterone-treated transgender men?ST shows some potential to overcome the embryo developmental arrest observed in OTO-IVM oocytes from transgender men.OTO-IVM is being applied as a complementary approach to increase the number of oocytes/embryos available for fertility preservation during ovarian tissue cryopreservation in cancer patients. OTO-IVM has also been proposed for transgender men, although the potential of their oocytes remains poorly investigated. Currently, only one study has examined the ability of OTO-IVM oocytes originating from transgender men to support embryo development, and that study has shown that they exhibit poor potential.Both ovaries from 18 transgender men undergoing oophorectomy were collected for the purposes of this study, from November 2020 to September 2022. The patients did not wish to cryopreserve their tissue for fertility preservation and donated their ovaries for research. All patients were having testosterone treatment at the time of oophorectomy and some of them were also having menses inhibition treatment.Sibling ovaries were collected in either cold or warm medium, to identify the most optimal collection temperature. Cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) from each condition were isolated from the ovarian tissue and matured in vitro for 48 h. The quality of OTO-IVM oocytes was assessed by calcium pattern releasing ability, embryo developmental competence following ICSI, and staining for mitochondrial membrane potential. In vitro matured metaphase I (MI) oocytes, germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes, and in vivo matured oocytes with aggregates of smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SERa) were donated from ovarian stimulated women undergoing infertility treatment and these served as Control oocytes for the study groups. ST was applied to overcome poor oocyte quality. Specifically, enucleated mature Control oocytes served as cytoplasmic recipients of the OTO-IVM spindles from the transgender men. Embryos derived from the different groups were scored and analysed by shallow whole genome sequencing for copy number variations (CNVs).In total, 331 COCs were collected in the cold condition (OTO-Cold) and 282 were collected in the warm condition (OTO-Warm) from transgender men. The maturation rate was close to 54% for OTO-Cold and 57% for OTO-Warm oocytes. Control oocytes showed a calcium releasing ability of 2.30 AU (n = 39), significantly higher than OTO-Cold (1.47 AU, P = 0.046) oocytes (n = 33) and OTO-Warm (1.03 AU, P = 0.036) oocytes (n = 31); both values of calcium release were similar between the two collection temperatures. Mitochondrial membrane potential did not reveal major differences between Control, OTO-Warm, and OTO-Cold oocytes (P = 0.417). Following ICSI, 59/70 (84.2%) of Control oocytes were fertilized, which was significantly higher compared to 19/47 (40.4%) of OTO-Cold (P < 0.01) and 24/48 (50%) of OTO-Warm oocytes (P < 0.01). In total, 15/59 (25.4%) blastocysts were formed on Day 5 in the Control group, significantly higher than 0/19 (0%) from the OTO-Cold (P = 0.014) and 1/24 (4.1%) in OTO-Warm oocytes (P = 0.026). Application of ST rescued the poor embryo development, by increasing the Day 5 blastocyst rate from 0% (0/19) to 20.6% (6/29) (P = 0.034), similar to that in the ICSI-Control group (25.4%, 15/59). A normal genetic profile was observed in 72.7% (8/11) of OTO-Cold, 72.7% (8/11) of OTO-Warm and 64.7% (11/17) of Control Day 3-Day 5 embryos. After ST was applied for OTO-IVM oocytes, 41.1% (7/17) of the embryos displayed normal genetic patterns, compared to 57.1% (4/7) among ST-Control Day 3-Day 5 embryos.N/A.Due to the limited access to human oocytes and ovarian tissue, our results should be interpreted with some caution, as only a limited number of human oocytes and embryos could be investigated.The results of this study, clearly indicate that OTO-IVM oocytes originating from transgender patients are of inferior quality, which questions their use for fertility preservation. The poor quality is likely to be related to cytoplasmic factors, supported by the increased blastocyst numbers following application of ST. Future research on OTO-IVM from transgender men should focus on the cytoplasmic content of oocytes or supplementation of media with factors that promote cytoplasmic maturation. A more detailed study on the effect of the length of testosterone treatment is also currently missing for more concrete guidelines and guidance on the fertility options of transgender men. Furthermore, our study suggests a potentially beneficial role of experimental ST in overcoming poor embryo development related to cytoplasmic quality.A.C. is a holder of FWO grants (1S80220N and 1S80222N). A.B. is a holder of an FWO grant (1298722N). B.H. and A.V.S. have been awarded with a special BOF (Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds), GOA (Geconcerteerde onderzoeksacties) and 2018000504 (GOA030-18 BOF) funding. B.H. has additional grants from FWO-Vlaanderen (Flemish Fund for Scientific Research, G051516N and G1507816N) and Ghent University Special Research Fund (Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds, BOF funding (BOF/STA/202109/005)), and has been receiving unrestricted educational funding from Ferring Pharmaceuticals (Aalst, Belgium). The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.N/A.

Evaluation of Sexual Dysfunction in Brazilian Women with Infertility Undergoing Assisted Reproduction Treatment

Purpose: The increase in infertility around the world has a negative impact on sexual desire and function. The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of sexual dysfunction in women diagnosed with infertility, comparing them with healthy controls. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study based on online questionnaire. Infertile women and healthy controls filled a questionnaire about epidemiological and assisted reproduction data. The infertile patients answered the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) questionnaires to assess sexual performance, physical, and mental health. The control group answered only to the FSFI. Results: The survey was completed by 357 subjects: 157 infertility patients and 200 matched controls. All medians of the FSFI domains of patients in the infertility group are lower (p=0.036) when compared to controls, especially the scores in the arousal and lubrication domains (p=0.003 and p&lt;0.0001, respectively). In this group, most are in good physical health and half are in good mental health. The depression rate was 12.7%. Patients who have depression have worse FSFI scores (p=0.009). Depression and sexual dysfunction were experienced by 27.4% (n=17) patients (p&lt;0.0001). Worse mental health was related to patients at higher risk for sexual dysfunction (p&lt;0.0001). Conclusion: In our sample of women undergoing infertility treatment, we found that the FSFI scores were significantly lower than in the control group, mainly in the arousal and lubrication domains. Additionally, it was found that the worse the mental health, the greater the possibility of sexual dysfunction in this group.

Effect of nursing interventions like meditation, progressive muscle relaxant exercises, and counselling on lifestyle and diet modification on marital relationship among women undergoing infertility treatment: randomized controlled trial: a pilot study

Background: Infertility has an impact on marital pleasure. Couples who are unhappy in their relationship are also more likely to have various negative psychological, social and physical health issues. Nurses can play a significant role in the management of infertility and its consequences. The recent study aimed to evaluate the effect of nursing interventions on marital relationship among women undergoing infertility treatment. Methods: By using a systematic sampling technique, 60 infertile women with marital disharmony (30 experimental and 30 control group) were included in the current randomized control trial. After getting their consent relationship assessment scale was used to estimate the marital relationship. The experimental group underwent the nursing intervention (Raja yoga meditation, progressive muscle relaxant exercises, advices on lifestyle and diet modification) for 5 subsequent visits apart from 15 days and the control group underwent standard medical care. Succeeding the intervention after one month’s last intervention, the relationship assessment scale was again applied to both groups. Results: Before the interventions both the groups were homogenous according to mean, SD and chi square values. After applications of dependent t-test, the mean score before and after nursing interventions the mean score was 13.70 SD 3.99 and 18.33 SD 2.89 respectively. The mean difference of marital relationship was 4.633 (t29=10.640, p=0.001). Independent t test was applied which reveals that the mean difference between experimental and control group was 3.867 (t58=4.215, p=0.001) which was statistically highly significant at 0.001 level. Conclusions: After implementing the nursing intervention, the study’s finding showed an improvement in the quality of marital relationship.

Types and Characteristics of Stress Coping in Women Undergoing Infertility Treatment in Korea.

The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics and predictors of types of stress coping in women undergoing infertility treatment. The cross-sectional study included 120 women who were receiving infertility treatment at infertility hospitals. Self-report questionnaires were used to measure. K-means cluster analysis and multinomial logistic regression were used to examine the characteristics and predictors of stress-coping types. Out of all the women undergoing infertility treatment who completed a self-report survey, 30.8% had a weak mixed coping type, 35.9% had a strong mixed coping type, and 33.3% had a passive coping type. The strong mixed treatment type was compared to weak mixed treatment type, with the following results: infertility adaptation (OR = 17.71, p < 0.000), spousal support (OR = 4.50, p = 0.021), infertility counseling experience (OR = 7.14, p = 0.010). Comparing the strong mixed coping type with the passive coping type, resilience (OR = 9.11, p < 0.000) was shown. It is necessary to strengthen resilience and provide a receptive attitude and spousal support to women undergoing infertility adaptation to help them relieve stress and develop functional coping.

The Association Between Spirituality and Hope Among Turkish Women Undergoing Infertility Treatment.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of spirituality on the levels of hope in women undergoing infertility treatment. This cross-sectional study was completed with the participation of 150 women undergoing IVF treatment at a university hospitalin Kocaeli. In this study the women's spiritual well-being levels were high, and their hope levels were above the average score. Significant correlations were found between hope, spirituality, educational status, and age. Since attempts to boost hope will increase the chance of success in treatment, it is thought that factors affecting the level of hope should be determined and addressed. It is also thought that health professionals can apply hope therapy to women and take initiatives to provide spiritual support.

INCIDENCE OF PREGNANCY LOSS IN WOMEN UNDERGOING INFERTILITY TREATMENT

Pregnancy loss in women with infertility is reported to range from 7-70%. 1 Few studies have examined the impact of infertility and infertility treatment on pregnancy loss. Our goal was to determine the incidence of pregnancy loss in women undergoing infertility treatment by diagnosis and treatment type and to identify factors associated with pregnancy loss.

Associations between Stigma, Cognitive Appraisals, Coping Strategies and Stress Responses among Japanese Women Undergoing Infertility Treatment

The number of infertility treatment cycles in Japan is the highest worldwide. Studies have shown that stigma is a predictor of stress-related symptoms including anxiety and depression in women undergoing infertility treatment. Stress management to prevent stress-related symptoms may be crucial; however, few studies have examined the model of stigma and stress responses. Based on the stress-coping model, we hypothesized that stigma threatens the identity of such women and that coping failure increases stress responses. We aimed to explore the role of cognitive appraisals and coping strategies as mediators of the association between the stigma of infertility and stress responses. In December 2021, we conducted a cross-sectional study in Japan, in which 254 women undergoing infertility treatment completed a web-based survey. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to analyze the associations between stigma, cognitive appraisals, coping strategies, and stress responses. The results showed that explanatory power increased with each additional variable in the following order: stigma, cognitive appraisals, and coping. Participants with a high level of stigma evaluated it as threatening, and used self-blame and venting coping strategies, and showed higher stress responses. Conversely, participants who used positive reframing coping strategies exhibited lower stress responses. Based on this, effective strategies to address stigma and stress responses are necessitated.