ABSTRACT
Background: Infertility rate is on rising trend. It is often associated with a chronic state of stress which may manifest itself in anxiety-related and depressive symptoms. Also, the affected family faces social discrimination, ostracism and stigma which leads to increased anxiety or depression among infertile couples. The motive of this study was to assess the quality of life among infertile couples; to determine the relationship between various domains of quality of life of infertile couples i.e. emotional, mind/body, relational, social, environmental and tolerability and to determine the association of levels of quality of life of infertile couples with the selected variables visiting IGIMS.Methods: This was a cross-sectional based study; carried out in the department of reproductive medicine, IGIMS, Patna, Bihar for one-year duration (January 2017 to December 2017), on 122 infertile patients attending outpatient department for treatment. Data was collected by using self-administered questionnaire i.e. Ferti QoL questionnaire and HADS.Results: Among all these 96 cases was found to be suffering from primary infertility and 26 cases from secondary infertility. In primary infertile patient social domain was the most affected domain having the greatest impact on their quality of life. In secondary infertile patients the tolerability domain was the most affected domain having the greatest impact on their quality of life. The total fertility quality of life score in primary infertility patients showed a lesser quality of life (55.41) than secondary infertility patients (66.29).Conclusions: This study points at the necessity of specific psychological interventions, presently absent from the public healthcare routine, for women struggling with infertility, to help them manage potential mental health problems and meet their reproductive goals.