Magnitude of infertility and associated factors among women attending selected public hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Introduction The World Health Organization estimated that approximately 48 million couples and 186 million people are infertile worldwide. Although the problem of infertility is increasing worldwide, as well as in Ethiopia, there are limited studies done. Therefore, this study aims to determine the magnitude of infertility and the major risk factors in three governmental hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Method An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was used to conduct the study. The participants were selected by using a systematic random sampling technique. Data were collected through an interview using a structured questionnaire. The data were entered into Epi Data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Logistic regression was used to identify the predictor variables. Statistical significance was considered at a P < 0.05 with an adjusted odds ratio calculated at 95% CI. Result The overall prevalence of infertility was 27.6% (95%CI = 23.2, 32.0). Of these, 14.4% had primary infertility, and 13.2% had secondary infertility. Those whose duration of marriage was less than 60 months [AOR = 3.85; 95%CI 1.39, 10.64], had a history of fallopian tube obstructions [AOR = 8.27; 95%CI 2.36, 28.91], had irregular frequency of coitus [AOR = 37.4; 95%CI 11.29, 124.114], had more than one sex partner [AOR = 3.51; 95%CI 1.64, 7.54], had an abortion greater than 3 times [AOR = 6.89; 95%CI 1.28, 37.09], and had partners who currently consumed alcohol [AOR = 1.31; 95%CI 1.11, 1.86] were more likely to be infertile than their counterparts. Conclusion According to the results of this study, the prevalence of infertility was high compared to the global estimate of the World Health Organization. The government, health care providers, and researchers should emphasize developing appropriate strategies, research, education, and awareness creation of infertility and its potential causes.

Automated summary

This study aimed to determine the magnitude of infertility and the major risk factors in three governmental hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The study found a high prevalence of infertility and identified factors such as duration of marriage, history of fallopian tube obstructions, frequency of coitus, number of sex partners, history of abortion, and partner's alcohol consumption as significant predictors of infertility.