Basic characteristics, treatment seeking behavior and regional differences of female infertility patients in assisted reproductive institutions in China
10.3760/cma.j.cn101441-20221017-00456
- VernacularTitle:我国辅助生殖机构女性不孕症患者基本特征、就医情况和地区差异研究
- Author:
Tianping WEN
1
;
Lina GAO
;
Yanjun FAN
;
Yi MA
;
Fu BAI
Author Information
1. 中国疾病预防控制中心妇幼保健中心，北京 100081
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Reproductive technology, assisted;
Infertility;
Patient characteristics;
Regional differences
- From:
Chinese Journal of Reproduction and Contraception
2023;43(11):1168-1172
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To describe the characteristics and medical seeking behaviors of female infertility patients in assisted reproductive institutions in China overall and geographical regions, and compare the differences among the eastern, the middle and the western regions.Methods:This study used the data from Unit 6-Analysis on the matching status of reproductive health and health care services among reproductive age population and demonstration and promotion study of diagnosis and treatment in National Key R&D Program "Reproductive Health and Major Birth Defects Prevention and Control Study" participated by the Assisted Reproductive Technology Management Department of Maternal and Child Health Care Center, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. One assisted reproductive institution with more than 1 000 and less than 1 000 oocyte retrieval cycles by in vitro fertilization techniques in 2018 was selected from 8 provincial capital cities in different regions of eastern and western China, and the questionnaire data of infertile female patients aged 20-49 years who first visited the outpatient clinics of 16 institutions were analyzed. The patient's age, degree of culture, annual personal income, try-to-conceived time, and one-way transportation time were analyzed using the frequency description, χ 2 test, Kruskal-Wallis H test and other methods. Results:A total of 3 673 female patients were finally included as study subjects. The patient's age was (31.0±4.6) years old, and 59.0% (2 156/3 660) was an undergraduate/college degree or above, with a median pregnancy test duration of 2.0 (1.3, 3.5) years. In terms of demographic characteristics, the proportion of patients over 35 years old in the eastern and western regions was greater in small institutions, 22.8% (216/948) and 26.4% (148/561), respectively. The proportion of patients with academic degrees in high school and below in the central region was higher, 49.1% (216/440) in large institutions and 47.0% (275/585) in small institutions. In terms of economics, 30.5% (521/1 708) of eastern patients reached an annual income of more than RMB 100 000, while only 2.8% (26/939) were willing to accept more than RMB 100 000 in treatment costs, and patients in the central and western regions were lower than those in the eastern region in terms of their annual income and acceptable treatment costs ( P<0.001). In terms of transportation, patients in the western region spent the longest amount of one-way transportation time, with large institutions of 30.9% (117/379) and small institutions of 29.8% (167/561) needing to spend more than 3 h; the proportion of patients in the eastern region who seek medical treatment from overseas was the highest, with 21.6% (164/758). Conclusion:The age of infertility patients in assisted reproductive institutions in China generally exceeds the optimal reproductive age of women and has a higher degree of education. Therefore, in young and people with a lower degree of education, the publicity of reproductive knowledge should be strengthened to encourage couples with fertility willingness to start preparation as early as possible. ln addition, there are more older patients in the western region, as well as the economic and transportation conditions are more unfavorable, and more attention needs to be paid at the policy level.
