Risk Factors of Tubal Infertility in a Tertiary Hospital in a Low-Resource
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Egbe et al. Fertility Research and Practice (2020) 6:3 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40738-020-00073-4 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Risk factors of tubal infertility in a tertiary hospital in a low-resource setting: a case- control study Thomas Obinchemti Egbe1,2* , Theophile Nana-Njamen1,2, Felix Elong2, Robert Tchounzou2, Andre Gaetan Simo2, Gaelle Padjip Nzeuga3, Cedric Njamen Nana1, Emmanuella Manka’a4, Charlotte Tchente Nguefack1,5 and Gregory Edie Halle-Ekane1,2 Abstract Background: Infertility is the inability to sustain a pregnancy in a woman with regular (2–3 times per week) unprotected sexual intercourse for a period of 1 year. This is a major public health problem that remains under- recognised in Cameroon and most countries in sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed at identifying the risk factors associated with tubal infertility in a tertiary hospital in Douala, Cameroon. Methods: We conducted a case-control study at the Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Radiology Departments of the Douala Referral Hospital from October 1, 2016, to July 30, 2017. We recruited 77 women with tubal infertility diagnosed using hysterosalpingography and 154 unmatched pregnant women served as controls. Data on socio-demographic, reproductive and sexual health, and radiologic assessments were collected using a pretested questionnaire. The data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 24.0. Logistic regression models were fitted to identify demographic, reproductive health factors, surgical, medical and toxicological factors associated with tubal infertility. The adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and their 95% confidence interval were interpreted. Statistical significance set at p <0.05. Results: Sixty-one per cent of respondents had secondary infertility. Following multivariate logistic regression analysis, respondents who were housewives (AOR 10.7; 95% CI: 1.68–8.41, p = 0.012), self-employed (AOR 17.1; 95% CI: 2.52– 115.8, p = 0.004), with a history of Chlamydia trachomatis infection (AOR 17.1; 95% CI: 3.4–85.5, p = 0.001), with Mycoplasma infection (AOR 5.1; 95% CI: 1.19–22.02, p = 0.03), with ovarian cyst (AOR 20.5; 95% CI: 2.5–168.7, p =0.005), with uterine fibroid (AOR 62.4; 95% CI: 4.8–803.2, p = 0.002), have undergone pelvic surgery (AOR 2.3; 95% CI: 1.0–5.5, p = 0.05), have undergone other surgeries (AOR 49.8; 95% CI: 6.2–400, p = 0.000), diabetic patients (AOR 10.5; 95% CI 1.0–113.4, p = 0.05) and those with chronic pelvic pain (AOR 7.3; 95% CI: 3.2–17.1, p = 0.000) were significantly associated with tubal infertility while the young aged from 15 to 25 (AOR 0.07; 95% CI: 0.01–0.67, 0.021), those in monogamous marriages (AOR 0.05; 95% CI: 0.003–1.02, p = 0.05), as well as those with a history of barrier contraceptive methods (condom) (AOR 0.17; 95% CI: 0.03–1.1, p = 0.06) were less likely to have tubal infertility. (Continued on next page) * Correspondence: [email protected]; [email protected] 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Douala Referral Hospital, Douala, Cameroon 2Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © The Author(s). 2020 Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data. Egbe et al. Fertility Research and Practice (2020) 6:3 Page 2 of 9 (Continued from previous page) Conclusion: The following factors were independently associated with tubal infertility: being a housewife, self- employed, history of Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma infection, and uterine fibroid. Furthermore, a history of pelvic surgery and other surgeries, diabetes mellitus, and chronic pelvic pain were also associated with tubal infertility. Young age, persons in monogamous marriages and users of barrier methods of contraception (condom) were less likely to have tubal infertility. Identification of these factors will be a target of intervention to avoid tubal infertility. Keywords: Tubal infertility, Associated risk factors, Pelvic inflammatory disease, Sexually transmitted infections Background ovarian reserve, male factor, uterine factor, or ovula- Infertility is the inability to sustain a pregnancy in a tory factor. The sperm count of the partner was nor- woman with regular (2–3 times per week) unprotected mal. The control group consisted of consenting sexual intercourse for a period of 1 year [1]. Though it women who became pregnant naturally and came for is a major public health problem, infertility in sub- antenatal care visits during the study period. Saharan Africa remains largely under-recognised [2, 3]. An infertility belt has actually been described in Africa that cuts across West and Central Africa, in- Study procedure cluding Cameroon [4]. Though the prevalence of in- fertility has been widely reported in medical literature, After obtaining ethical approval from the research it is difficult to synthesize infertility prevalence data board of the DRH, respondents signed a written because of the incomparable definitions used [5]. informed consent form to take part in the study. However, in Africa, and Cameroon, in particular, this Women with a diagnosis of infertility and pregnant prevalence has been underestimated because infertile controls were administered pretested questionnaires patients do not readily seek medical attention for vari- consisting of: ous reasons including lack of awareness or knowledge, Sociodemographic information: age, marital status, lack of resources as well as cultural and religious rea- level of education and occupation sons [6–8]. It has been reported, previously, in Reproductive health characteristics: age at first Yaoundé, Cameroon that the female factor accounts intercourse, contraception use and type, parity, for 30% of infertility; with infectious causes mainly number of lifetime sex partners, type of Chlamydia, accounting for 48.9% [9]. There are few dysmenorrhea, histories of ectopic pregnancies, studies in Cameroon that report the risk factors asso- uterine fibroid, ovarian cysts, spontaneous and ciated with infertility. This study aimed at identifying induced abortions, use of traditional vaginal herbs, the risk factors associated with tubal infertility at the type of infertility, duration of infertility, Chlamydia trachomatis Douala Referral Hospital, Cameroon. infection screening ( , Mycoplasma), history of PID and lesions found on hysterosalpingography (unilateral or bilateral Patients and methods tubal obstruction). For this study, we considered Study design and site only bilateral tubal occlusion for tubal infertility We conducted a case-control study from October 1, Past medical, surgical and toxicological history: 2016 to July 30, 2017 at the Obstetrics and Gynaecology history of pelvic and other surgeries, diabetes and Radiology Departments of the Douala Referral mellitus, tobacco smoking Hospital (DRH)). The DRH is a tertiary health facility that provides scientific treatment, research and teaching, The HSG was performed on out-patient basis during and serves as a referral hospital for Douala and the the proliferative phase that is during the 7th–12th day of Central African sub-region. The Department of Ob- menstrual cycle (the 1st day being the menstrual bleed- stetrics and Gynaecology has eight obstetricians/ ing and women with a regular cycle) using the standard gynaecologists while the Department of Radiology has technique [10–12]. All the procedures were performed three radiologists. Patients who were consulted by the at the DRH and reviewed for endometrial and tubal gynaecologist were later referred to the radiologists pathologies by three experienced radiologists to avoid for hysterosalpingography (HSG) after screening and inter-observer bias. treating for vaginal infections. We enrolled consenting There were, 77 respondents with tubal factor infertility women suffering from infertility and whose HSG re- (cases) and 154 controls (women who came for antenatal sults showed bilateral tubal occlusion. We excluded care visits) (Fig. 1). Reporting was according to the women with other causes of infertility like diminished Strokes guidelines. Egbe et al. Fertility Research and Practice (2020) 6:3 Page 3 of 9 Fig. 1 Flow diagram of study population Data management and analysis (AOR 17.1; 95% CI: 2.52–115.8, p = 0.004) were signifi- Data were coded and double entered into Microsoft cantly associated with tubal infertility while young age 15– excel 2013 by two separate researchers to avoid errors. 25 years (AOR 0.07; 95% CI: 0.01–0.67, 0.021) and those The data were analysed using the Statistical Package for who married monogamously (AOR 0.05; 95% CI: 0.003– the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 24.0. Logistic 1.02, p = 0.05) were less likely to have tubal infertility. regression models were fitted to identify demographic, Table 3 shows the reproductive health characteristics reproductive health factors, surgical, medical and toxico- that were independently associated with tubal infertility. logical factors associated with tubal infertility. The Respondents with a history of Chlamydia trachomatis adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and their 95% confidence infection (AOR 17.1; 95% CI: 3.4–85.5, p = 0.001), Myco- interval were interpreted.