• African health sciences · Dec 2023

    Risk factors for infertility and barriers to treatment in Tanzania: a survey and medical records study.

    • Emily A Groene, Cyrialis Mutabuzi, Dickson Chinunje, Ester Shango, Mkhoi L Mkhoi, Susan M Mason, Shalini Kulasingam, and Charles R Majinge.
    • Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 S 2nd Street, Suite 300, Minneapolis, United States.
    • Afr Health Sci. 2023 Dec 1; 23 (4): 462471462-471.

    BackgroundThe burden of infertility is serious for women in high-fertility countries.ObjectivesWe sought to identify demographic, behavioral/environmental, and reproductive risk factors for various infertility factors (i.e., ovarian, tubal, uterine/cervical, male/other) among women seeking infertility treatment in central Tanzania; to determine the association between pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and tubal factor infertility (TFI); and to identify barriers to infertility treatment by women's home regional zone.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey of women seeking infertility treatment in Dodoma, Tanzania from January-March 2020. We surveyed 168 participants aged 18-49 years and reviewed their medical records to confirm infertility status and potential risk factors. We estimated prevalence ratios for factors associated with infertility using logistic regression. Treatment barriers were compared by women's regional zone to see if barriers varied geographically.ResultsThe median age of participants was 32 years (range: 18-48). Infertility factors did not vary greatly by patient demographics, behavioral/environmental, or reproductive risk factors. Approximately 31.48% of women had PID diagnoses. Those with PID had 1.94 (95% CI: 1.30, 2.90) times the prevalence of TFI diagnosis as those with other infertility factors, after adjusting for age, pesticide use, alcohol use, age at sexual debut, prior obstetric events, and family history of infertility. Logistical barriers to treatment, such as time and cost, were more frequently reported than emotional, stigma, or other barriers, regardless of regional zone.ConclusionsPID was strongly associated with TFI after adjustment for confounders. Infertility treatment access due to cost remains a challenge in Tanzania.© 2023 Groene EA et al.

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