Risk-related Behaviours and Prevalence of Acquired Female Reproductive Tract Factor Infertility among Childbearing Age Women in a Tertiary Hospital in Nigeria: An Analytical Cross-sectional Study
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Abstract
Background: Acquired female reproductive tract factor infertility is often associated with modifiable lifestyle, infection-related, preventable, and predominant in low-resource settings. This study identified risk-related behaviors, determined prevalence, and assess associated factors among childbearing-age gynecologic clinic attendees
Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study among 204 randomly selected reproductive-age women attending a tertiary hospital gynecological clinic over six months. Outcomes were prevalence and risk-related behaviors of acquired female reproductive tract factor infertility. Data were collected using a pre-tested semi-structured instrument. Descriptive statistics, Fisher’s exact tests, Student’s t-test, and binary logistic regression, with significance set at p < 0.05 was done.
Results: Acquired reproductive tract factor infertility affected 42/74 (56.8%) of infertile participants. Significant predictors were non-use of contraception (aOR=2.62, 95% CI: 1.29-5.30, p = 0.0073), unprotected sex without condom use (aOR=2.83, 95% CI: 1.23-6.67, p = 0.0071), prior pelvic or abdominal surgery (aOR=3.14, 95%CI: 1.37-7.24, p = 0.0073), unmarried status (aOR=0.31, 95%CI:0.13-0.73, p = 0.0075), history of pelvic inflammatory disease (aOR=2.25, 95% CI: 1.05-4.81, p = 0.0366), and chronic lower abdominal pain (aOR= 1.32, 95% CI: 1.14-1.56, p = 0.0034). Infertile women more avoided contraception (OR= 2.22, 95%CI: 1.24-3.97, p = 0.0085), engaged in unprotected sex (OR=2.06, 95% CI: 1.10-3.85, p =0.0238), and used non-professional care for sexually transmitted infections (OR=2.66, 95%CI: 1.24-5.74, p = 0.0155) and pelvic inflammatory disease (OR=2.95, 95%CI: 1.15-7.60, p = 0.0271).
Conclusion: Acquired reproductive tract factor infertility was prevalent. Risk-related behaviors were common particularly among the infertile subgroup requiring lifestyle modification and improved health-seeking behavior to reduce incidence.
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