Treatment Seeking Practices and Etiology of Infertile Couples in Bangladesh

Infertility is a major reproductive health problem, at least in part, a cultural problem also. In developing countries like Bangladesh, infertility is a devastating experience for a couple, particularly in women. For this reason many women suffer from many social and medical consequences. Most of the infertile patients of Bangladesh have no access to adequate comprehensive treatment. Also due to lack of proper knowledge, some couples use varied traditional methods and religious practices. This study was done to assess the treatment seeking behavior of infertile couple and also to find out the gross causes of infertility of patients attending at Motherhood Fertility center, Dhaka, Bangladesh. This prospective study was done over 3 years from June 2016 to June 2019. Two thousand two hundred and fifty (2250) patients attending a secondary infertility center at Dhaka were included in this study. Out of 2250 infertile patients 56.00% were rural and 44.00% urban. Of 737 (58.49%) rural and 658 (66.46%) urban infertile patients had consulted with General practitioner and Gynae specialist before coming to secondary and tertiary care center. Out of 1260 rural, 463(36.75%) and 990 urban, 291 (29.39%) had visited the infertility center as the first choice for treatment. Still about 8.8% infertile couple visited quacks and traditional healers for solving infertility. The overall primary and secondary infertility were 67.69% and 32.31% respectively. In 12.57% couples, male factor was the obvious cause (azoospermia and abnormal semen parameters). In 27.43%, female factors and in 28.0% couples both male and female had obvious reasons responsible for infertility. Thirty two percent (32.00%) cases were unexplained infertility. Out of female factors 43.00% anovulation, 29.00% tubal factors, 11.00% endometriosis, 5.00% Uterine factors, 2.00% POF (premature ovarian failure) and 10.00% others (Thyroid disorder, DM, Hyper-prolactinemia, Luteal phase defect). Infertility is an important health problem in Bangladesh. Etiology of infertility varies from regional, social and cultural conditions so that it requires proper diagnosis and then treats this problem accordingly. It is necessary to build up proper referral system and also proper training should be needed to service provider and traditional healers. Reproductive technology should be widely available in our society where motherhood is one of the most desired stages of a women's life.

Clinico-pathological Evaluation of Residual Ovary Syndrome: A Cross Sectional Study

The residual ovary syndrome (ROS) occurs in patients where one or both ovaries are conserved at the time of hysterectomy. It occurs mostly within 10 years of hysterectomy. Residual ovary syndrome usually requires surgery and histology varies from some physiological cysts to benign or even malignant neoplasms. The objectives of the study were to analyze the etiopathology of re-operation for ROS and to find out their clinical presentations. This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, BSMMU during a period of 5 years from January 2014 to December 2018. All consecutive patients admitted with residual ovary syndrome (ROS) at the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and also in Gynae-oncology department at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Bangladesh. Total 40 cases were enrolled according to selection criteria and sampling technique was purposive. The mean age of the study populations was 42.20±7.13 years. All of the study populations were parous except one who was nulliparous. The mean age of hysterectomy was 37.25±6.44 years. The indication of primary surgery by hysterectomy was fibroid in 50% of cases; others were abnormal uterine bleeding, pelvic inflammatory disease etc. After primary surgery majority (77.5%) of the study populations presented with chronic pain with or without dyspareunia and 20% presented with lump in abdomen either symptomatic or asymptomatic. Around half (57.5%) of the patients were presented within 5 years and 82.5% within 10 years of hysterectomy. Per-operative findings of secondary surgery for ROS were mainly extensive peri-ovarian and peritoneal adhesions involving surrounding structures. Among them majority (77.5%) of the cases were presented with various types of cystic and complex masses in the ovaries. Histopathological reports of residual ovary were functional cysts 35.0% (n=14), Corpus luteal cyst 12.5% (n=5), endometriotic cyst 12.5% (n=5), benign ovarian tumours 37.5% (n=15) and malignant ovarian tumour 2.5% (n=1). ROS, usually requires surgery which in most of the cases becomes troublesome due to presence of extensive adhesions with surrounding structures. So, decision is crucial whether to remove or conserve apparently healthy ovaries found at hysterectomy in pre-menopausal women. Moreover decision of hysterectomy in premenopausal women should be taken very judiciously as several medicines are available for conservative management. Usually indications of hysterectomy are benign.