A systematic review of infertility-related questionnaires

Background: Worldwide, approximately 15% of couples experience unwanted infertility during their reproductive lives. Questionnaires focusing on infertility can provide valuable information several dimensions of the condition, including its epidemiology, impact on quality of life, and decision-making regarding treatment. Questionnaires should be validated and shared for research progress. Objective: To systematically summarize questionnaire instruments that have been developed for infertility, describe populations in which they have been used and validated, and categorize the domains represented within the instruments. Methods: We searched for relevant articles using the following phrases: “infertility AND questionnaire,” “infertility AND survey,” “infertility AND scale.” We searched reference lists for additional articles, and contacted authors for copies of and information about their instruments. We analyzed and categorized the content of the questionnaires into several domains. Results: Questionnaires were administered primarily in English to educated, white male and female populations in the United States and Europe. Among all questionnaires, the following domains were addressed: reproductive history, treatment history, emotional distress, satisfaction with treatment, cost of treatment, treatment procedural concerns, planning for a pregnancy, time to pregnancy, disclosure of infertility to others, the reasons for or against seeking treatment, feelings about becoming a parent, feelings about adoption, family and relationship dynamics, and the perception of self. Fifty percent of the questionnaires had been formally validated. Some questionnaires were not available for review. Discussion: There is a need for additional questionnaire development and sharing to advance the understanding of infertility and to include different social and cultural groups and men.