[An approach to male infertility from economic sociology].
OBJECTIVE
To study the psychology of infertility patients from the perspective of economic sociology so as to prevent the patients from medical frauds in seeking medical treatment.


METHODS
We investigated 902 infertility patients of the Third Hospital of Peking University from September 2005 to January 2006 using a randomized questionnaire.


RESULTS
Of the total number, 84.4% had education below college level; the majority had a low monthly family income, 36.6% below Y1,000, 19.7% from Y1,000 to Y2,000, 16.5% from Y2,000 to Y3,000, 7.8% from Y3,000 to Y4,000 and 19.4% above Y4,000; 88.7% had a strong desire for a child; 60.3% were psychologically stressed. As for the advertisements for the treatment of infertility, 50.2% of the patients disbelieved them, 6.2% wanted to have a try and about 43.6% accepted them to be true. Regarding the treatment in individual hospitals, 55.2% disbelieved in it, 5.8% wanted to try it and about 39.0% believed in it.


CONCLUSIONS
Infertility patients of low economic status usually have a lower educational level but a higher desire for children, and therefore are more likely to be the victims of medical frauds and more psychologically stressed. It calls for our attention how to provide them with medical help.
Zhao
Lian-ming
LM
Department of Urology, the Third Hospital of Peking University, Beijing 100083, China.
Jiang
Hui
H
Sui
Yu-jie
YJ
Tang
Wen-hao
WH
Yuan
Ren-pei
RP
Ma
Lu-lin
LL
D004522:Educational Status; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires