(243) DELAY OF CARE NEGATIVELY IMPACTS FEMALE PARTNERS OF PATIENTS WITH MALE FACTOR INFERTILITY

Abstract Introduction Approximately half of couples with infertility will be found to have a male factor. However, historical data has revealed that infertility is preferentially attributed to the female partner. This often-wrong assumption may cause female partners to undergo invasive and expensive procedures and treatments when the couple’s lack of fertility is ultimately due to male-related factors. Objective We aimed to quantify the impact of delayed urologic care for male-factor infertility. Methods An electronic survey was delivered through REDCap to patients who were evaluated in our clinic for male-factor infertility from January 2023 to June 2024. The survey assessed each couple’s reproductive care quantitatively and qualitatively prior to seeking urologic services at our institution. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the data. Results A total of 121 couples completed the anonymous survey. 35.5% of the couples reported experiencing early focused female gynecologic care and 13.3% sought out reproductive endocrinology and female fertility counseling prior to seeing a urologist for male infertility evaluation. Of those who first sought other specialties before investigating the possibility of male-related infertility, respondents stated that they spent a range of 2 months to 6 years on solely female reproductive care. Additionally, 51.5% considered their treatments invasive and costly. Almost half (48.7%) of all respondents wish they sought out urologic care sooner. Conclusions Delayed urologic care for male-related factors can result in significant premature costs, both financially and in time invested, and in invasive treatments for female partners, who are often presumed to be the primary cause of infertility. These findings highlight the need for early and equitable evaluation of both partners in infertility cases to optimize patient care and minimize unnecessary procedures. Further, the results indicate patients who did not seek urologic care earlier regretted not doing so. This delay underscores the significance of better patient education and awareness regarding male-factor infertility. Disclosure No.