Center of Reproductive Medicine, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, No. 39 Huaxiang Street, Shenyang, China.
NHC Key Laboratory of Advanced Reproductive Medicine and Fertility (China Medical University), National Health Commission, Shenyang, China.
Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2024 Jan 2;22(1):1. doi: 10.1186/s12958-023-01174-7.
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has seriously impacted the mental and sexual health of the general population. Patients dealing with infertility constitute a unique subset within society, susceptible to heightened sensitivity amid pressures and crises. However, to the best of our knowledge, the impact of the different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental and sexual health of patients with infertility has not been investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the mental and sexual health of patients with infertility during different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic (during the lockdown, when controls were fully liberalized, and during the post-pandemic era).
This prospective before-and-after study was conducted between April and May 2022 (during the lockdown), December and January 2023 (when controls were fully liberalized), and May and August 2023 (during the post-pandemic era). This study explored the sexual and mental health of women with infertility during the three stages of the COVID-19 pandemic using standardized mental health and sexual function questionnaires. The Chi-square test was used to compare categorical data, and the ANOVA test was used to compare numerical data.
Patients had the highest 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) and 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) scores and the highest rates of anxiety and depression during the immediate full-release phase. During the complete liberalization phase, patients had the lowest Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) scores and the highest incidence of sexual dysfunction.
This study is the first one to report the repercussions of COVID-19 on the mental and sexual well-being of individuals experiencing infertility across various phases of the pandemic. Upon the complete lifting of control measures, close to 99% of participants exhibited varying degrees of anxiety and depression. Our research underscores that individuals with infertility faced elevated levels of anxiety, depression, and sexual dysfunction during the phase of full liberalization of COVID-19 control measures, in stark contrast to the periods of lockdown and the post-pandemic era.
冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行严重影响了普通人群的精神和性健康。患有不孕症的患者在社会中构成一个独特的亚组，在压力和危机中容易变得更加敏感。然而，据我们所知，COVID-19 大流行的不同阶段对不孕症患者的精神和性健康的影响尚未得到研究。因此，本研究旨在调查 COVID-19 大流行不同阶段（封锁期间、控制措施全面放宽时和大流行后时期）不孕症患者的精神和性健康。
这是一项前瞻性的前后对照研究，于 2022 年 4 月至 5 月（封锁期间）、2023 年 12 月至 1 月（控制措施全面放宽时）和 2023 年 5 月至 8 月（大流行后时期）进行。本研究使用标准化的精神健康和性功能问卷探讨了 COVID-19 大流行三个阶段不孕症女性的性健康和精神健康。使用卡方检验比较分类数据，使用方差分析检验比较数值数据。
在完全释放阶段，患者的 7 项广泛性焦虑障碍量表（GAD-7）和 9 项患者健康问卷（PHQ-9）评分最高，焦虑和抑郁发生率最高。在完全放宽阶段，患者的女性性功能指数（FSFI）评分最低，性功能障碍发生率最高。
本研究首次报告了 COVID-19 在大流行的不同阶段对不孕患者的精神和性健康的影响。在完全取消控制措施后，近 99%的参与者表现出不同程度的焦虑和抑郁。我们的研究表明，在 COVID-19 控制措施全面放宽期间，不孕症患者的焦虑、抑郁和性功能障碍程度更高，与封锁期间和大流行后时期形成鲜明对比。
