Emotional impact of indefinite delay
Fertility treatment is often time sensitive, particularly for patients with advanced reproductive age or diminished ovarian reserve, and indefinite postponement of fertility treatment potentially could lead some patients to lose the ability to conceive with their own gametes, Dr. Turocy said.
In early April, Dr. Turocy and colleagues surveyed patients at their academic fertility center in New York City to assess patients’ reactions to the ASRM recommendations. They decided to conduct the study after they realized that treatment cancellations were having a significant emotional effect.
Investigators emailed an 18-item survey to more than 3,000 patients.
In all, 518 patients completed the survey, a response rate of 17%. Patients had an average age of 37 years (range, 23-52 years), and 92% were female. About 24% had children, and 66% had received at least one fertility treatment.
Half had a cycle canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, including timed intercourse cycles (5%), intrauterine insemination cycles (23%), IVF cycles with a planned fresh embryo transfer (10%), IVF with all frozen embryos (27%), egg freeze cycles (3%), and FET cycles (30%).
In response to survey questions about whether they agreed with ASRM recommendations, “the reactions were mixed,” Dr. Turocy said.
About 36% of patients agreed all fertility cycles should be canceled, 22% were unsure, and 43% disagreed with the recommendation. Patients who had a cycle canceled were slightly more likely to agree with the cancellations (40% agreed) than those who did not have a cycle canceled (30% agreed), Dr. Turocy said.
Most respondents would have preferred an option to start a treatment cycle in consultation with their doctor. Half “would have chosen to start a new cycle during the height of the pandemic in New York City,” Dr. Turocy said.
Patient opinions may vary by region and depend on the severity of COVID-19 outbreaks there, and they also might change over time, Dr. Turocy suggested. In addition, the opinions and characteristics of patients who responded to the anonymous survey may differ from those of patients who did not respond.
Dr. Verrilli, Dr. Turocy, and Dr. Lin had no relevant financial disclosures.