Many women still endure severe stress despite expanded infertility support, study reveals

YonhapSEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - Despite increased support for infertility treatments many women undergo severe physical and mental stress from repeated procedures, a new study reveals.

The study, conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs and released on Wednesday, found that many women often suffer from serious complications such as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, ectopic pregnancies, and multiple pregnancies involving two or more fetuses.

Multiple pregnancies, in particular, increase the risk of pre-eclampsia, diabetes, preterm birth, and other complications that can affect newborns' health. Long-term hormone therapy may also raise the risk of borderline ovarian tumors.

Psychological distress was pronounced, as most respondents reported that depression and anxiety more than doubled following the procedures. Their mental health worsened with longer or more frequent treatments.

Many said they felt frustrated, guilty, and socially isolated, with some even having contemplated suicidal thoughts. Despite these difficulties, only 8.3 percent had sought psychological counseling, indicating a lack of adequate support.

Infertility cases in South Korea rose sharply from around 228,000 in 2020 to over 300,000 in 2023, with male infertility surpassing 100,000 last year. As of 2022, the annual number of related procedures reached 200,000 in 2022, with over 780,000 embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF).

The government expanded support by increasing the coverage from 25 times per couple to 25 times per childbirth and also reducing out-of-pocket expenditures from 50 percent to 30 percent for women over 45.

* This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP.
Ju Hye-rin 기자 joojoosky@ajunews.com