Endometriosis as a Cause of Primary Infertility in Western Regions of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Endometriosis is defined by the presence of viable extrauterine endometrial glands and stroma with unclear etiology and pathogenesis. It has been associated with female infertility. Infertility is defined as the failure of sexually active couple, not using contraception to achieve a clinical pregnancy after one year or more of regular sexual intercourse. Infertility is a symptom of endometriosis in up to 50% of women. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Kind Abdulaziz Hospital in Almina, South Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The total sample obtained was 507 participants. Participants were married Saudi women attending the outpatient or inpatient departments in the hospital. Pre-designed disseminated questionnaire was distributed for data collection, and data were entered and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS Inc. Chicago, IL, USA) version 23. Results: Most (47.9%) of the studied women aged 31-40 years, 41.9% were obese and 1.2% were smokers while 42.2% were passive smokers, and only 3.7% exercise regularly. Prevalence of infertility was 23.3% and endometriosis was 10.7%. It was found that there was a significant correlation between endometriosis and infertility (P = 0.025). Conclusion: Although many women with endometriosis get pregnant and deliver healthy infants, endometriosis is highly associated with infertility. More studies are needed to investigate the pathobiology of this condition.

Common Autoimmune Antibodies in Unexplained Infertile Female Patients in Saudi Arabia

“…Infertility is defined as the failure to conceive after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse, and it has a global average prevalence of approximately 15% [ 1 ]. In Saudi Arabia, the infertility rates among women are on the rise and are currently up to 18.9-23.3% [ 2 , 3 ].…”