The aim: To carry out a statistical analysis of physical and reproductive health characteristics in women after ineffective reattempts of using assisted reproductive technologies and identify significant medical and social factors contributing to the development of chronic endometritis.
Materials and methods: We carried out a statistical analysis involving 177 outpatient medical records: group 1 includes 127 women aged under 45 with two or more ineffective attempts of in vitro fertilization; group 2 comprised 50 healthy women without reproductive disorders. The complete physical exam included past history, clinical and gynecologic examination, lab techniques and medical imaging according to outpatient medical records obtained during the follow-up care in Isida-IVF Medical Center LLC. Chronic endometritis was recognized by means of histologic examination of endometrium, with the samples obtained by an endometrial pipelle biopsy on day 4-9 of the menstrual cycle.
Results: The prevalence of pelvic inflammatory disease in patients of group 1 comprised 47.2%, endometritis – 41.7%; p1.2 <0.01. The prevalence of acute endometritis among patients of group 1 comprised 6.3%; p1.2 >0.05 and was associated with an infection after abortion. In group 1, sexually transmitted infections were reported in 67.7% of patients, p1.2> 0.05, bacterial vaginosis was registered 1.5 times more often – 28.4%; p1.2 <0.05. In group 1, single induced abortion was reported in 15.0%, while 2 times it took place in 15.7% (p1.2 <0.05). Laparoscopies were previously performed in 59.8% of women, laparotomies – in 62.2%, while in 25.4% of women these interventions were reperformed. Unilateral salpingectomy, due to ectopic pregnancy, was performed in 25.4% of women, bilateral – in 12.7%. Fallopian tube removal, due to sactosalpinx, was performed in 25.4% of women, unilateral salpingectomy took place in 3.9% of cases. The most significant risk factors of chronic endometritis in groups studied are acute postabortal endometritis, RR (relative risk) = 1.439, p = 0.029 and postoperative peritonitis provoked by the complications of appendectomy, RR = 1.430, p = 0.084. We detected none of significant effects of pelvic inflammatory disease on the development of chronic endometritis (RR = 45.132, Confidence interval (CI) (6.151-331.167), p = 0.001). The analysis of reproductive failures, as a risk factor of chronic endometritis in women of group 1, showed a significant relative risk: with the past history of premature birth, RR = 1.44, p = 0.039, in case of reattempts of induced abortions, RR = 1.5, p<0.001, Spontaneous miscarriage RR = 1.572, p = 0.001. A higher relative risk of developing chronic endometritis was observed during pregnancy – RR = 1.597, p = 0.001.
Conclusions: Statistical analysis of women’s reproductive health after ineffective reattempts of using ART revealed that the high rate of fetal interventions, low rate of alternative and safe abortion methods are registered in these women, as well as the nonavailability of any system of health measures after reproductive failures. A significant increase in miscarriage at early stages takes place, as well as the absence of a tendency for preterm labor to decrease in the rate. Maintaining women’s reproductive health is a considerable medical and social issue, whose resolving depends on joint efforts of governmental and public entities, healthcare agencies and the population responsibility for own health. Designing and adopting the program of preconception care and planning for pregnancy in women after ineffective reattempts of using ART, with chronic endometritis as a primary disease, should be the top priority area of a health care system.
Chronic endometritis, as a factor in the violations of women's reproductive health