Attitudes and Knowledge of Infertile Iranian Couples Among Treatment with Assisted Reproductive Technologies During COVID-19 Pandemics

Sepideh Peivandi; Alireza Razavi; Shervin Shafiei; Marzieh Zamaniyan; Asma Orafaie; Hamed Jafarpour

doi:10.18502/jfrh.v16i2.9480

Sepideh Peivandi Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Sexual and Reproductive Health Research Center, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Alireza Razavi Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Shervin Shafiei Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Marzieh Zamaniyan Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Diabetes Research Center, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Asma Orafaie eneral Practitioner, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Hamed Jafarpour Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jfrh.v16i2.9480

Keywords: COVID-19; Assisted Reproductive Technology; Attitude; Infertility

Abstract

Objective: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected the continuation of all non-emergency medical treatment and patients potentially suffer from restrictions including patients under infertility treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of infertile couples about continuing assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) therapy during the COVID-19 outbreak, in Sari, Iran.

Materials and methods: We conducted a prospective longitudinal investigation on potential infertile couples for treatment with ARTs referred to our infertility clinic from March 2020 to June 2020. Ninety-two patients were studied voluntarily and anonymously in this study. A self-developed structured questionnaire was used to assess the attitude towards continuing infertility treatment. A P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Thirty-two patients (33.33%) had decreased motivation to continue treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fear of transmission to the fetus (28.13%) had the highest frequency among the causes of decreased motivation to continue treatment (P-value = 0.011). Trust on the support of the treatment team (56.67%) was the most common reason for not reducing motivation in patients without decreased motivation (P <0.001).

Conclusion: Despite the COVID-19 pandemy, in Iran most infertile patients tended to continue ARTs. Although many patients had passable knowledge on COVID-19, the stress of infertility and the high desire of infertile couples to have children did not deter them from continuing their therapy.