Epidemiological Disease Burden of Female Infertility Associated with Male Factors Based on Routinely Collected Health Data between 2010-2019

OBJECTIVES: Female infertility is a global health problem, which affects approximately 120 million women worldwide. Female infertility constitutes a significant and growing burden on patients, health care systems and the society as well. Our aim was to determine the epidemiological disease burden of female infertility associated with male factors in Hungary between 2010-2019.

METHODS: Data were derived from the financial database of the National Health Insurance Fund Administration of Hungary, of the year 2010 and 2019. Dataset included annual health insurance costs, numbers of patient and cost distribution calculated for age groups. The following cost categories were included into the study: general practice care, home care, in- and outpatient care, medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics and pharmaceuticals. Patients with female infertility associated with male factors were identified with the following code of the International Classification of Diseases 10th revision: N97.4.

RESULTS: The highest number of patients were found in inpatient care (2010: 1,926; 2019: 1,562), followed by pharmaceuticals (2010: 1,778; 2019: 1,035) and outpatient care (2010: 1,496 2019: 706). Based on the number of patients related to inpatient care the prevalence among women was 262.8 in 2010, while 236.0 in 100,000 inhabitants in 2019. Age-specific prevalence was the highest within the age group of ’30-39’ (179.7 women). It was followed by the 20-29 years (47.7) in 2010. In 2019 the prevalence was increased in the ’30-39’ (158.5) and ’40-49’ age groups (54.7). The mean age of the patients in inpatient care was 34.5 years in 2010 and 37.7 years in 2019.

CONCLUSIONS: The most significant decrease in the number of patients was in laboratory diagnostics (-62.5%), outpatient care (-52.8%) and pharmaceuticals (-41.8%). The mean age increased by 4.3 years in the study period, furthermore, the ’40-49’ age group became the second most affected group with infertility.