title: The fertility quality of life (FertiQoL) questionnaire in Taiwanese infertile couples.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize the fertility quality of life (QoL) in Taiwanese infertile couples using an objective measurement tool-the FertiQoL questionnaire, and establish a reference level of QoL for clinical applications and future studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  The FertiQoL tool, a self-report questionnaire, was distributed to seven infertility centers across Taiwan for infertile couples who were undergoing the treatment of in vitro fertilization. The online version of the FertiQoL questionnaire was issued on the website of Taiwan Society for Reproductive Medicine and was opened to the public.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 534 copies of eligible FertiQoL questionnaires were collected. The total scores for the Core FertiQoL and Treatment FertiQoL are 55.12 ± 13.72 and 56.40 ± 10.96, respectively. Both the Core and Treatment FertiQoL were significantly higher in the males of infertile couples than the females (60.63 ± 14.07 vs. 54.39 ± 13.52, p = 0.001, and 59.13 ± 12.44 vs. 56.03 ± 10.71, p = 0.035, respectively). Significantly better QoL was found in infertile patients in the Southern Taiwan, with a Core FertiQoL of 58.21 ± 12.70 and a Treatment FertiQoL of 58.79 ± 10.15.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study provide a baseline QoL in infertile couples in Taiwan, and could potentially be used as a guide for clinical counseling and future works.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine and Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Pei-Yang
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Ming-Wei
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Jiann-Loung
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Maw-Sheng
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Meng-Hsing
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003376:Counseling; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D012015:Reference Standards; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D013624:Taiwan
keywords: FertiQoL; gender; infertility; quality of life; questionnaire