Health-related
quality of life and need for IVF in 1000 Italian infertile couples.
Ragni
G, Mosconi P, Baldini MP, Somigliana E, Vegetti W, Caliari I, Nicolosi
AE.
Hum Reprod. 2005 May;20(5):1286-1291.
|
Background: A specific and still poorly investigated issue
in the field of infertility is represented by the impact that the
need for IVF techniques may have on health-related quality of life
(HRQoL). Methods: A total of 1000 consecutive couples (1000
women and 1000 men) were invited to complete the Health Survey Short
Form (SF-36) questionnaire separately, prior to initiating
their first IVF attempt in our unit. Patients were also invited to
report about demographic and clinical characteristics. Results:
A total of 1936 (96.8%) agreed to participate. Male SF-36 scores were
higher than those reported by women. Duration of infertility and previous
IVF attempts significantly influenced HRQoL (P<0.01). When scores
were plotted in relation to the normative
source of the Italian general population stratified by gender, corresponding
age and geographical area, the subjective health profile did not significantly
differ from the normative sample for both women and men. Conclusion:
The need for IVF did not seem to markedly influence subjective health
status. Conversely, duration of infertility and failure to achieve
a pregnancy through IVF might have a negative impact.
|