Stress, Depression, Sexual Function, and Alexithymia in Infertile Females with and without Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Case-Control Study
Journal Title: International Journal of Fertility & Sterility - Year 2019, Vol 13, Issue 3
Abstract
Background Infertile females experience some types of distress such as social stress, depression, and sexual dys- function that may be exacerbated by polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The current study aimed at comparing psychological profile of infertile females with PCOS with that of women without PCOS with respect to four domains: infertility stress, depression, sexual dysfunction, and alexithymia. Materials and Methods The current case-control study was conducted on 240 infertile females (120 with PCOS and 120 without PCOS) in Fatemeh Azahra Infertility and Reproductive Health Research Center (Babol, Iran) from 2016 to 2017. The following questionnaires were used to collect data: the fertility problem inven- tory (FPI), the female sexual function index (FSFI), the Beck depression inventory-II (BDI-II), and the Toronto alexithymia scale (TAS-20). Results Females with PCOS had higher FPI total scores than the ones without PCOS (120.68 ± 29.42 vs. 112.83 ± 30.94). Of the subscales of infertility stress, the mean scores of social stress and rejection of a future life without a child were higher in females with PCOS than the ones without PCOS (P<0.05). Also, the mean total scores of alexithy- mia symptoms (TAS-20) in females with PCOS were significantly higher than those of the ones without PCOS (59.83 ± 11.36 vs. 55.69 ± 11.52). There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding the mean scores of depression symptoms and sexual function. Conclusion Infertile females with PCOS experienced higher levels of infertility stress and inability to distinguish and describe their feelings compared with the ones without PCOS. It is suggested that infertility care providers should provide more psychosocial support for infertile females with PCOS.
Authors and Affiliations
Zahra Basirat, Mahbobeh Faramarzi, Seddigheh Esmaelzadeh, Sharareh Abedi Firoozjai, Theresa Mahouti, zahra Geraili
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP606189
- DOI 10.22074/ijfs.2019.5703
- Views 132
- Downloads 0
Thyroxin Is Useful to Improve Sperm Motility
Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the non-genomic action of thyroxin on sperm kinetic and its probable use to improve sperm recovery after applying an en- richment method like “swim-up” in comparison with...
Evaluation of Some Plasma Coagulation Factors in Women with Spontaneous Miscarriage
Background It has been reported that 15-20% of parous female have experienced at least one miscarriage, while 3% of them have experienced two miscarriages. The goal of this study was to evaluate the plasma level of coagu...
Effect of Surgical Removal of Endometriomas on Cyclic and Non-cyclic Pelvic Pain
Background Endometriosis is a complex disease with a spectrum of pain symptoms from mild dysmenorrhea to debilitating pelvic pain. There is no concrete evidence in the literature whether endometriotic cyst per se, causes...
A Case of Bilateral Testicular Tumors Subsequently Diagnosed as Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Due to 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency
21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD) caused congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a group of autosomal recessive genetic disorders resulting from mutations in genes involved with cortisol (CO) synthesis in the adrenal gl...
Clomiphene citrate treatment cycle outcomes of PCOS patients based on basal HS-CRP levels: a cross-sectional study
Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is highly associated with an ovulatory infertility, features of the metabolic syndrome, including obesity, insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. Serum concentrations of high sen...