Comparison of treatment outcomes following ovarian stimulation with intrauterine insemination in minimal or mild endometriosis versus unexplained infertility: A retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Background: Infertility is a global health issue. The variation in the prevalence of unexplained infertility is attributed to the choice of investigation. There remains a knowledge gap on the impact of minimal and mild endometriosis on treatment outcomes following intrauterine insemination (IUI). Aim: The aim of this study was to compare treatment outcomes following ovarian stimulation (OS) and intrauterine insemination (IUI) between minimal and mild endometriosis versus unexplained infertility. Settings and Design: A retrospective analysis of women undergoing OS with intrauterine insemination during the year 20142020 in the Department of Reproductive Medicine and Surgery, Christian Medical College, Vellore, was considered for the study. Materials and Methods: Women with minimal and mild endometriosis or unexplained infertility diagnosed by diagnostic hysterolaparoscopy were included for the analysis. Univariate and multivariate analysis was done. The primary outcome was live birth rate (LBR) per cycle. The secondary outcomes measured were clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), cumulative LBR (CLBR) per women, cumulative CPR (CCPR) per women and miscarriage rate. Statistical Analysis Used: The baseline parameters were compared using a t-test for continuous data, and categorical data were compared using the Chi-square/Fisher's exact test as appropriate. The outcomes were assessed using logistic regression analysis and expressed as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: There were no significant differences in CPR per cycle (14.28% vs. 18.8%, OR: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.401.28) and LBR per cycle (14.28% vs. 16.6%, OR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.461.51) between the endometriosis and unexplained infertility groups. The cumulative LBR per woman and CCPR per woman also did not show any significant difference in between the two groups. Conclusion: The current study did not find any significant differences in cumulative LBR and CPR following OS-IUI in women with minimal or mild endometriosis and unexplained infertility.