Patients
This cross-sectional case-control study included a total of 166
consecutive patients in the age range between 21 and 39 years, who were
admitted to the gynaecology outpatient clinic of the Recep Tayyip
Erdogan University’s School of Medicine in the period from December 2018
to June 2019. Informed consent was obtained from the participants prior
to the study. The study was conducted in compliance with the ethical
guidelines including the World Medical Association (1975) Declaration of
Helsinki 2008 and the legal requirements of the Ethics Committee of the
Recep Tayyip Erdogan University (Approval no: 2018/187).
Sixty individuals; who met the following criteria; including not
achieving pregnancy despite regular sexual intercourse for more than 12
months, exclusion of male infertility, the absence of an abortion
history, the presence of at least one ovary, the presence of at least
one active fallopian tube confirmed through hysterosalpingography or
laparoscopy, the absence of pelvic pathology, normal hormone levels on
the third to fifth days of the ovulatory cycle, and the presence of
adequate follicular reserves, were considered to have ”unexplained
infertility”. Fifty patients; who had infertility and whose infertility
could be explained by tubal, anovulatory, or male factors, were included
in the group of patients with ”infertility due to a known cause”.
Fifty-six outpatients; who had at least two healthy pregnancies, who
gave birth in the last two years, and who used contraceptive methods,
were included in the ”control group”. Patients with a chronic disease
and patients with a history of previous or current psychiatric treatment
were excluded from the study. Clinical psychiatric examinations were
performed by the same psychiatrist; who worked at the Recep Tayyip
Erdogan University’s School of Medicine and who was blinded to the
infertility status of the participants. Patients; who were diagnosed
with a current psychiatric disorder as a result of the interview, were
excluded from the study.