Prevalence and associated factors of infertility among 20–49 year old women in Henan Province, China

Abstract

Background Infertility is a reproductive health problem which affects not only individuals, families and social populations. Recently, the infertility rate in China has a trend of increase year by year, and few studies have reported the infertility rate in Henan Province, China. The aim of this study was to investigate the current prevalence and associated factors of infertility among women of childbearing age in Henan Province, China. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2019 to October 2019. We sampled 765 women who were 20–49 years old in eight hospitals of four cities in Henan Province, China. This survey included a questionnaire, physical examination, vaginal ultrasound examinations, and serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) assessment, all of which were conducted under uniform standards by trained personnel. According to the data collected from questionnaire, participants were divided into infertile and fertile groups and analyzed associated factors. Results Among all the 765 participants in this study, the prevalence of infertility was 24.58%. The prevalence of primary infertility was 6.54%, and the prevalence of secondary infertility was 18.04%. In logistic multivariate regression analyses, infertility was associated with age (p < 0.001), history of gynecological surgery (p < 0.001), sweet food (p = 0.003) and decreased ovarian reserve (DOR) (p < 0.001). After further analyses, factors associated with primary infertility were age of marriage (p = 0.006), age of first sexual intercourse (p = 0.003), long-term air-conditioning environment (p < 0.001), decreased ovarian reserve (p = 0.005) and age (p = 0.002). And factors associated with secondary infertility were history of gynecological surgery (p < 0.001), decreased ovarian reserve (p = 0.002), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) above 0.85 (p = 0.043), delivery times (p = 0.001) and ages (p < 0.001). Conclusion The prevalence of infertility among women aged 20–49 was 24.58% and only 61.17% infertile women sought medical help in Henan Province, China. Age, history of gynecological surgeries and DOR may increase the risk of infertility. Local public health departments and medical professionals need to discharge their duty of reducing the high incidence of infertility and protecting women’s reproductive health.

Fertility-enhancing effect of oil-based contrast agents during hysterosalpingography and the variation of this effect within a 3-year follow-up period in infertile patients

“…Infertility is the inability to conceive after 1 year of unprotected intercourse ( 1 – 3 ). The incidence of infertility has been continuously increasing in recent decades, and its prevalence is as high as 13.00–24.58% in women with fertility intentions ( 3 , 4 ).…”

“…Infertility is the inability to conceive after 1 year of unprotected intercourse (1)(2)(3). The incidence of infertility has been continuously increasing in recent decades, and its prevalence is as high as 13.00-24.58% in women with fertility intentions (3,4). Infertility women suffer from a vast disease burden, including physical distress and emotional devastation, which might cause physiological disorders for infertile women and conflict and emotional break for their families (5)(6)(7)(8).…”

Current situation of menstruation and gynecological diseases prevalence among Chinese women: a cross-sectional study

“…Interestingly, in our study, the prevalence of trouble conceiving was 12.5%, indicating that the infertility rate is decreasing. However, this result should be interpreted with caution because the huge discrepancy between the previous studies and ours may be caused by different study designs, times, and regions as infertility rates vary with region and time [ 52 ]. In agreement with our study, a study conducted in Turkey from 1993 to 2003 showed a decrease in the infertility rate from 12 to 8.6% [ 54 ].…”

“…On the other hand, trouble conceiving (infertility), which is an inability to get pregnant following 12 months of unprotected sexual intercourse, is a worldwide reproductive health problem increasing in the prevalence by 0.37 % each year [ 51 ]. In China, a study conducted in Henan province among women aged 20–49 years has reported the prevalence of infertility to be 24.6% [ 52 ]. Another population-based cross-sectional study involving eight provinces in China has reported a prevalence of 25% [ 53 ].…”

Factors associated with infertility among married women in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh

“…are significantly associated with infertility and these are explained as risk factors. [21][22][23][24] Health parameters (e.g., infection in reproductive organs, diabetics, menstruation, obstetrical history, body mass index [BMI]), social parameters (e.g., smoking and alcohol consumption habit, lifestyle) and environmental factors are studied as risk factors of infertility in some earlier literature. 3,[25][26][27][28][29] Moreover, age at first marriage and duration of contraceptive use have a robust impact on fertility.…”