Chances of pregnancy after dropping out from infertility treatments: Evidence from a social survey in Japan

Abstract

Purpose: We examined a patient's chances of pregnancy after dropping out from infertility treatments, an issue that has been largely understudied. Method: Drawing from a nationwide Internet survey in Japan with 1930 respondents, we used data from 199 individuals (109 women and 90 men) who had undergone an infertility treatment. We estimated linear probability models to investigate the extent to which the probability of pregnancy was affected by dropping out after controlling for a couple's attributes. Results: Among the 199 respondents who had experienced an infertility treatment, 91 (45.7% of the entire sample) became pregnant during the treatment, and 108 (54.3%) dropped out. Among these 108 dropouts, 66 (33.2%) eventually became pregnant. After controlling for a couple's attributes, treatment discontinuation reduced the probability of pregnancy by 31.6% (standard error: 5.0%). A relatively limited reduction in the chances of pregnancy was also observed after a patient dropped out of any of the three treatment stages (timed intercourse, intrauterine insemination, and in vitro fertilization). Conclusions: The results suggest that dropping out from infertility treatments does not preclude any chance of a future pregnancy. More follow-up attention should be provided to dropout patients.