Table III.
Percentage of selections (%) and lower and upper limits of 95% confidence intervals (LL 95% CI – UP 95% CI) for reasons for treatment discontinuation, per treatment stage and overall.
| Categories of reasons for discontinuation | INITIATE |
FIRST |
ART-START |
ART - FAILED |
ART – TYPICAL |
OVERALL |
||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | LL 95% CI | UL 95% CI | % | LL 95% CI | UL 95% CI | % | LL 95% CI | UL 95% CI | % | LL 95% CI | UL 95% CI | % | LL 95% CI | UL 95% CI | % | LL 95% CI | UL 95% CI | |
| Treatment | ||||||||||||||||||
| Physical burden of treatments | 0.7 | 0.12 | 2.79 | 17.49 | 12.44 | 23.95 | 3.36 | 1.24 | 8.07 | 6.32 | 4.59 | 8.61 | ||||||
| Psychological burden of treatments | 10.34 | 6.82 | 15.32 | 7.84 | 5.5 | 11 | 12.96 | 5.8 | 25.51 | 21.78 | 16.69 | 27.86 | 19.72 | 15.35 | 24.93 | 14 | 12.11 | 16.13 |
| Physical and psychological burden of treatment | 19.07 | 14.18 | 25.1 | 19.07 | 14.18 | 25.1 | ||||||||||||
| Clinic | ||||||||||||||||||
| Clinic related reasons | 2.81 | 1.31 | 5.67 | 17.48 | 11.84 | 24.92 | 7.71 | 5.44 | 10.76 | |||||||||
| Organizational problems | 5.56 | 1.45 | 16.35 | 13.99 | 8.96 | 21.02 | 11.68 | 7.7 | 17.2 | |||||||||
| Patient | ||||||||||||||||||
| Relational problems | 20.14 | 14.11 | 27.43 | 4.79 | 3.21 | 7.03 | 18.52 | 9.7 | 31.87 | 11.19 | 6.73 | 17.81 | 7.75 | 4.98 | 11.77 | 8.83 | 7.29 | 10.65 |
| Marital and personal problems | 16.67 | 7.51 | 31.96 | 16.67 | 7.51 | 31.96 | ||||||||||||
| Rejection of treatment | 42.36 | 34.26 | 50.87 | 8.89 | 6.25 | 12.44 | 5.95 | 3.16 | 10.67 | 7.88 | 4.94 | 12.22 | 13.23 | 11.15 | 15.62 | |||
| No Faith in treatment success | 2.78 | 0.89 | 7.4 | 2.78 | 1.42 | 5.22 | 5.1 | 1.89 | 12.06 | 3.16 | 1.97 | 4.98 | ||||||
| Perception of poor prognosis | 8.11 | 5.01 | 12.72 | 8.09 | 5.72 | 11.28 | 2.02 | 0.35 | 7.81 | 7.27 | 5.54 | 9.46 | ||||||
| Logistics/practical reasons | 33.33 | 28.88 | 38.09 | 6.02 | 2.24 | 14.11 | 28.83 | 24.95 | 33.04 | |||||||||
| Personal reasons | 26.92 | 17.79 | 38.35 | 5.22 | 3.26 | 8.17 | 11.11 | 4.6 | 23.31 | 9.27 | 6.93 | 12.26 | ||||||
| Adoption | 8.97 | 6.61 | 12.02 | 2.08 | 0.01 | 7.45 | 7.38 | 5.67 | 9.54 | |||||||||
| Other parenting options | 1.05 | 0.27 | 3.3 | 6.76 | 3.47 | 12.41 | 1.05 | 0.27 | 0.33 | |||||||||
| Abandonment of childwish | 2.4 | 1.12 | 4.86 | 4.9 | 2.16 | 10.21 | 3.15 | 1.84 | 5.26 | |||||||||
| Postponement of treatment | 55.36 | 41.56 | 68.43 | 17.07 | 7.69 | 32.64 | 39.18 | 29.58 | 49.65 | |||||||||
| Postponement of treatment or unknown | 14.29 | 5.95 | 29.24 | 21.79 | 13.55 | 32.85 | 19.17 | 12.78 | 27.58 | |||||||||
| External constraints | ||||||||||||||||||
| Doctor censoring | 6.94 | 3.56 | 12.7 | 11.64 | 8.94 | 15 | 42.59 | 29.5 | 56.73 | 38.1 | 23.99 | 54.35 | 30.09 | 25.38 | 35.25 | 19.75 | 17.41 | 22.31 |
| Financial issues | 15.32 | 10.98 | 20.89 | 3.89 | 2.23 | 6.59 | 3.7 | 0.64 | 13.83 | 50 | 34.06 | 65.94 | 3.57 | 1.32 | 8.56 | 9.19 | 7.34 | 11.43 |
| Health problems | 7.64 | 4.07 | 13.58 | 0.65 | 0.03 | 4.11 | 3.38 | 1.49 | 7.13 | 3.76 | 2.34 | 5.92 | ||||||
| Other medical treatment | 3.00 | 1.53 | 5.62 | 3.66 | 0.95 | 11.06 | 8.97 | 3.99 | 18.17 | 4.06 | 2.56 | 6.31 | ||||||
| Non-interpretable | ||||||||||||||||||
| Went to other clinics | 1.05 | 0.27 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 0.64 | 13.83 | 8.39 | 4.61 | 14.51 | 11.41 | 6.98 | 17.9 | 5.39 | 3.82 | 7.53 | |||
| Other/unknown/not reported | 7.64 | 4.07 | 13.58 | 10.68 | 8.27 | 13.66 | 1.85 | 0.1 | 11.18 | 17.57 | 13.61 | 22.34 | 11.86 | 10 | 14 | |||
| Non-classifiable | 21.52 | 13.38 | 32.48 | 2.8 | 0.01 | 7.45 | 9.46 | 6.09 | 14.29 | |||||||||
Note: Blank cells mean that the corresponding reason category was not investigated for the corresponding treatment stage in any study.
INITIATE, during diagnosis, before initiation of treatment; FIRST, during first-order treatments like insemination or ovulation induction; ART-START, on the waiting list to start assisted reproductive techniques; ART-FAILED, after the first failed ART cycle; ART-TYPICAL, before completion of the typical ART regimen.