Effects of repeated treatment failure on the quality of life of couples with infertility.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the impact of repeated treatment failure of clomiphene and intrauterine insemination on the quality of life of couples with infertility.


METHODS
A prospective comparative study involving 3 groups of 50 couples each. The first group consisted of infertile couples with repeated treatment failure (group FT), the second group consisted of infertile couples who had never attempted any medical treatment (group NT), and the third was a control group of couples with at least 1 child and no history of infertility. Participants completed a comprehensive questionnaire to assess 16 areas of quality of life.


RESULTS
The quality of life score of the control group was higher than the scores reported by groups NT and FT (P <.001). There was no significant difference in the quality of life score reported by group NT and group FT or between male and female partners. Among the women, a high quality of life was reported by 22% in group FT, 14% in group NT, and 54% in the control group. Among the men, a high quality of life was reported by 14% in group FT, 12% in group NT, and 60% in the control group. In contrast to their male partners, the women with repeated treatment failure placed higher importance on children and home than their counterparts who had not started the treatment (P <.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Although couples with repeated treatment failure of clomiphene and intrauterine insemination do not demonstrate a lower overall quality of life than other infertile couples beginning baseline assessment, the quality of life of infertile couples is lower than that of fertile couples.
El-Messidi
Amira
A
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McGill University, Montreal, QC.
Al-Fozan
Haya
H
Lin Tan
Seang
S
Farag
Reda
R
Tulandi
Togas
T
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017211:Treatment Failure