Deferral of Fertility Treatments during COVID-19 Pandemic to have Psychological Impact on Women, Study Suggests

Jan, 2021 - By SMI

According to a new study initiated by the researchers of University of Regina have suggested that postponement in the fertility treatments due to the COVID-19 exhibit several psychological impacts on women whose treatments were cancelled or delayed.

Researchers informed that out of every six reproductive-aged couples one couple experience infertility, and opt for treatments including intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF), which require several appointments with specific healthcare providers to complete. However, recently American Society of Reproductive Medicine and the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society declared to suspend all in-person fertility treatments in the United States and Canada due to COVID-19 on immediate effect for uncertain duration.

In this study, researchers utilized social media to enlist 92 women from Canada and the U.S. who reported about their suspended fertility treatments to participate in an online survey. These women were under age group of 20 and 45 and had been trying to conceive for between 5 and 180 months. Moreover, over 50% participants reported about their cancelled IVF cycle and around 1/3 had been in the middle of IUI when treatments were postponed.

Researchers evaluated and found that around 86% of respondents had a negative impact on their mental health due to treatment suspensions and 52% of the participants exhibited significant depression symptoms.

The authors stated, “This study highlights how enormously challenging the COVID-19 pandemic has been for women whose fertility treatments have been suspended. At the same time, it points to certain factors that may help women cope during this difficult time, such as having good social support.”