Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol. 2022 Jun;43(2):198-204. doi: 10.1080/0167482X.2021.2011855. Epub 2021 Dec 10.
Assessment of psychological reactions to delays in fertility treatment have often utilized single clinic samples during the time that fertility treatments were paused. We, therefore, assessed emotional reactions to treatment cancelations due to COVID-19 in infertility patients across the United States after treatments had begun to resume.
Cross-sectional survey emailed on 27 May 2020 and closed on 30 June 2020, to 53,600 FertilityIQ.com website users inquiring about their experience since the COVID-19 pandemic. A subset of FertilityIQ users ( = 13,490) opened the survey invitation and 1806 respondents participated in the survey (13.4% response rate).
The majority of respondents (female, 67.4%; male, 61.7%) were 31-40 years old; most were planning to start treatment immediately (women, 42.6%; men, 44.7%) or were undergoing treatment (women, 34.9%; men, 29.8%) at the time of treatment cancelation. Patients (women, 21.1%; men 19.1%) or clinics (women, 57.7%; men, 40.4%) canceled treatment. Most clinics had resumed treatment at the time of the study (women, 90.0%; men, 73.7%). Cancelation resulted in sadness (women, 83.9%; men 86.7%) and anger (women, 45.4%; men, 36.7%); greater than half of the participants whose treatment was canceled (women: 66.8%, = 630; men: 73.7%, = 14) agreed with cancelations. Greater than 70% of respondents were at least somewhat concerned about reproductive chances (women, 84.7%; men, 72.4%) and exclusion of partners (women, 73.3%; men, 72.4%). Distress/concern was associated with clinic cancelation, disagreement with delays, age, diagnosis, and concern about delays and pregnancy chances ( <.05).
Respondents were distressed/concerned about the effect of the pandemic on their fertility. Distress was highest in women with a poorer fertility prognosis, no control over treatment cancelation, and high concern about the effect of treatment delay on pregnancy chances. Emotional support, education regarding treatment delay and fertility, and efforts where possible, to include patients in decisions to delay treatment are warranted in future treatment delays.
对生育治疗延迟的心理反应的评估通常在生育治疗暂停期间利用单一诊所的样本进行。因此，我们评估了美国各地的不孕患者在生育治疗开始恢复后因 COVID-19 而取消治疗的情绪反应。
2020 年 5 月 27 日通过电子邮件发送的横断面调查，于 2020 年 6 月 30 日截止，调查了 53600 名 FertilityIQ.com 网站用户，询问他们自 COVID-19 大流行以来的经历。FertilityIQ 用户的一个子集（ = 13490）打开了调查邀请，有 1806 名受访者参加了调查（13.4%的回复率）。
大多数受访者（女性，67.4%；男性，61.7%）年龄在 31-40 岁；大多数人计划立即开始治疗（女性，42.6%；男性，44.7%）或正在接受治疗（女性，34.9%；男性，29.8%）在治疗取消时。患者（女性，21.1%；男性 19.1%）或诊所（女性，57.7%；男性，40.4%）取消了治疗。大多数诊所（女性，90.0%；男性，73.7%）在研究时已经恢复了治疗。取消治疗导致悲伤（女性，83.9%；男性，86.7%）和愤怒（女性，45.4%；男性，36.7%）；超过一半的治疗被取消的参与者（女性：66.8%， = 630；男性：73.7%， = 14）同意取消治疗。超过 70%的受访者对生殖机会（女性，84.7%；男性，72.4%）和伴侣排除（女性，73.3%；男性，72.4%）感到至少有些担忧。
受访者对大流行对他们生育能力的影响感到不安/担忧。在预后较差、无法控制治疗取消、对治疗延迟对怀孕机会的影响高度关注的女性中，痛苦/担忧最高。在未来的治疗延迟中，有必要为患者提供情绪支持、治疗延迟和生育方面的教育，并尽可能让患者参与延迟治疗的决策。
