[Assisted reproductive technoloy: indications and perceptions among couples presenting for infertility at Dakar University Hospital].

AIMS: To identify, among the cases of sterility, the indications for assisted reproductive technology to analyze the knowledge, attitudes and perceptions regarding ART among patients consulted for infertility

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of 1718 files of infertile patients, selecting the cases likely to recover from ART completed by an individual and anonymous survey assessing knowledge regarding ART techniques among 209 patients seeking infertility consultation.

RESULTS

Among women, cervico-vaginal (26.7%) and tubal (20.9%) etiological factors were the predominating causes of infertility. Among men, azoospermatozoa was the predominant cause of infertility (24.5%). The indications for ART were estimated at 98.8% of cases: 3.14% indicated for artificial insemination, 95.7% for in-vitro fertilization. Around 18.21% of couples could have conceived with the assistance of these methods, compared to 3.8% of pregnancies obtained without ART. Among interviewed couples, a favorabl, perception of ART was found: although the majority of patients (78.9%) were ready to resort to ART, only 24.9% of interviewed women were in a position to mobilize required resources.

CONCLUSION

Advocacy for the feasibility of ART in the public hospital setting should be supported by the potential indications of modern technology demonstrated in this study.