Endocrine Abstracts

Aim: Infertility, defined as the non-achievement of pregnancy by a couple after 12 months of free sexual intercourse, affects 4 - 17% of couples worlwide. In 20% of cases, the cause is found exclusively or mainly in the man. The purpose of this study is to evaluate infertility as a risk factor for increased psychological stress.

Material and Methods: A case – control study was conducted in which the levels of psychological stress of men with infertility and fertile healthy men were assessed. The primary research question was whether male infertility was associated with increased psychological stress. The Greek editions, validated for the Greek population of the Perceived Stress Scale -14 (PSS-14) and Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaires were used to assess the latter.

Results: The study involved 91 men: 47 infertile men with mean (± SD) age 37.5 ± 0.9 years and mean body mass index (BMI) 24.4 ± 1.1 kg/m² and 44 fertile with mean age 37.9 ± 0.7 years and BMI 24.1 ± 1.2 kg/m². No differences in stress scales were observed between infertile patients and fertile men (STAI 45.9 ± 0.4 vs. 44.86 ± 0.493, P= 0.105 and PSS-14 29.66 ± 0.75 vs. 28.89 ± 0, 5, P= 0.436 in infertile and fertile men, respectively).

Conclusion: There was no statistically significant difference in psychological stress levels between infertile and fertile men, although levels were relatively high in both groups. One possible cause is the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, which by affecting lifestyle can lead to high levels of stress and mitigation of any differences between the groups.