BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
5 years ago

Epidemiology of infertility in China: a population-based study

Xiujuan Chen, Hongping Wu, Zi-Jiang Chen, Yunxia Cao, Zehong Zhou, Jie Qiao, Ben Willem Mol, Shuguang Xu, Yuefan Kang, Danni Zheng, Suxin Xu, Yimin Zhu, Rong Li
Objective To assess the current prevalence of and risk factors for infertility among couples of reproductive age in China. Design Population-based cross-sectional study. Setting We approached 25,270 couples in 8 provinces/municipalities, of whom 18,571 (response rate 74%, 18,571/25,270) were interviewed. Population Couples living together and married for more than 1 year, of whom the female spouse was 20-49 years old. Methods Women were approached via telephone and face-to-face conversation to complete the standardized and structured questionnaire by trained interviewers. Main outcome measures Prevalence and risk factors of infertility. Results Among women ‘at risk’ of pregnancy, the prevalence of infertility was 15.5% (2,680/17,275). Among 10,742 women attempting to become pregnant, the prevalence of infertility was 25.0% (2,680/10,742), which increased with age in the second population. Among women who failed to achieve pregnancy in the last 12 months, 3,470 finished our questionnaire about fertility care, and 55.2% (1,915/3,470) of them had sought medical help. Socio-demographic risk factors for infertility included lower educational level (aOR=3.4, 95%CI: 2.0-5.5) and employment (aOR=2.3, 95%CI: 1.9-2.9). Clinical risk factors were irregular menstrual cycle (aOR=1.8, 95%CI: 1.2 -2.5), light menstrual blood volume (aOR=1.6, 95%CI: 1.2-2.0), history of cervicitis (aOR=1.5, 95%CI: 1.2-2.0) and endometriosis (aOR=3.1, 95%CI: 1.1-9.3), previous stillbirth (aOR=2.1, 95%CI: 1.3-3.3) and miscarriage (aOR=2.7, 95%CI: 2.1-3.5). In addition, history of operation was a significantly risk factor of infertility. Conclusions Among couples of reproductive age in China, the prevalence of infertility was 25%, and almost half of the couples experiencing infertility had not sought medical help. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Publisher URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/resolve/doi

DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.14966

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