Reproductive medical providers' behaviors, considerations, and plans for fertility treatments during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: A nationwide web-based survey

Kuniaki Ota; Osamu Tsutsumi; Tasuku Mitani; Yoshiharu Morimoto; Atsushi Tanaka; Yutaka Osuga; Toshifumi Takahashi; Yoshihiko Hosoi

doi:10.1002/rmb2.12372

Reproductive medical providers' behaviors, considerations, and plans for fertility treatments during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: A nationwide web-based survey

Reprod Med Biol. 2021 Mar 22;20(2):123-132. doi: 10.1002/rmb2.12372. eCollection 2021 Apr.

Authors

Kuniaki Ota¹, Osamu Tsutsumi², Tasuku Mitani³, Yoshiharu Morimoto⁴, Atsushi Tanaka⁵, Yutaka Osuga⁶, Toshifumi Takahashi⁷, Yoshihiko Hosoi³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Toho University Tokyo Japan.
² Center for Human Reproduction and Gynecologic Endoscopy Sanno Hospital Tokyo Japan.
³ Graduate School of Biology-Oriented Science and Technology Kindai University Wakayama Japan.
⁴ HORAC Grand Front Osaka Clinic Osaka Japan.
⁵ Saint Mother Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic Institute for ART Fukuoka Japan.
⁶ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology The University of Tokyo Tokyo Japan.
⁷ Fukushima Medical Center for Children and Women Fukushima Medical University Fukushima Japan.

Abstract

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted reproductive medical providers' behaviors and considerations, including their concerns regarding the necessity of fertility treatments.

Methods: A web-based questionnaire was distributed to Japan Society of Fertilization and Implantation (JSFI) members from May 18 through May 31, 2020 to survey their professional behaviors and concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Results: Most survey participants reported a decrease in the number of patients and a decrease in their workload. Most also believe that the use of fertility treatments will return to the pre-pandemic levels after the COVID-19 pandemic ends. Additionally, more than half of the participants reported that they consider fertility treatment neither necessary nor unnecessary during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusions: At the institute where reproductive medical providers worked in Japan, the number of outpatients and the working time tended to decrease during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, amid fears of infection during the COVID-19 pandemic, the reproductive medical providers working at fertility institutes in Japan have remained engaged in their work with a sense of mission and hope.

Keywords: nationwide survey; oocyte retrieval; pregnancy; questionnaires; severe acute respiratory syndrome.