Al-Kandari Ahmed M, Alenezi Ahmad
Department of Surgery (Urology), Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait.
Mubark Hospital, Sabah Al Ahmad Urology Center, Kuwait.
Urol Ann. 2020 Oct-Dec;12(4):314-318. doi: 10.4103/UA.UA_48_20. Epub 2020 Aug 10.
Male infertility represents 50% of all infertility problems. The management of male infertility is expensive, causing a huge burden on the patients. In this study, we aimed to calculate the cost burden of male infertility investigations and treatments.
A total of 600 infertile male patients from a single center in Kuwait city were asked to fulfill an internet-based survey. The survey encompassed data about the cost of different investigations and treatments of male infertility. Patients were also asked about the preference of covering their condition either through government or by private insurance.
A total of 145 patients responded to the survey. Most of the patients earned 3295 United States Dollar (USD) to 6590 USD per month. The cost of the outpatient visit ranged from 131.7 to 263.4 USD. The cost of each hormonal test was 164.5 USD while the average cost of each imaging study was 131.8-164.7 USD. Most of the patients (62.8%) received medical therapy with an expense of >988.74 USD. Varicocelectomy cost ranged from 3295 to 6590 USD while the cost of testicular sperm extraction ranged from 1644 to 3294 USD. Most patients (96.3%) did not have health insurance coverage of infertility. On average, patients spent around 18% of their annual income on infertility care, excluding major surgeries.
Male infertility is a worrisome medical condition that causes a huge burden on the Kuwait community. Effective management necessitates insurance coverage and public health support owing to the huge financial burden on the patients and their partners. Thus, policymakers should re-evaluate their protocols of spending on male infertility care.
男性不育占所有不育问题的50%。男性不育的治疗费用高昂，给患者带来巨大负担。在本研究中，我们旨在计算男性不育检查和治疗的费用负担。
科威特市一个单一中心的600名不育男性患者被要求完成一项基于互联网的调查。该调查涵盖了男性不育不同检查和治疗的费用数据。患者还被问及更倾向于通过政府还是私人保险来支付其病情的费用。
共有145名患者回复了调查。大多数患者每月收入在3295美元至6590美元之间。门诊就诊费用在131.7美元至263.4美元之间。每项激素检测费用为164.5美元，而每项影像学检查的平均费用为131.8 - 164.7美元。大多数患者（62.8%）接受了费用超过988.74美元的药物治疗。精索静脉曲张切除术费用在3295美元至6590美元之间，而睾丸精子提取术费用在1644美元至3294美元之间。大多数患者（96.3%）没有不育症的健康保险覆盖。平均而言，患者在不育症治疗上花费了其年收入的约18%，不包括大手术费用。
男性不育是一种令人担忧的医疗状况，给科威特社会带来巨大负担。由于给患者及其伴侣带来巨大经济负担，有效的管理需要保险覆盖和公共卫生支持。因此，政策制定者应重新评估他们在男性不育治疗方面的支出方案。
