The FREQUENCY OF UTERINE FIBROIDS AMONG WOMEN PRESENTING WITH SUBFERTILITY

Objective: To determine the frequency of uterine fibroids among women presenting with infertility Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study from 25th Oct 2020 to 25th April 2021. A total of 148 infertile women were recruited in the study through consecutive sampling and subjected to ultrasound to detect uterine fibroids. All data were analyzed in SPSS version 20. Mean + SD were calculated for quantitative variables like age, height, weight and BMI. Frequencies and Percentages were calculated for categorical variables like uterine fibroids. Uterine fibroids were stratified among age and BMI to see the effect modification using chi-square test with a p value of < 0.05 as significant. Results: Mean age of the participants was 29.5 years, with a mean BMI of 24.3 kg/m². Uterine fibroids were present in 20.9 % of the women, with no significant correlation between age and BMI. Among age groups, 16.5% of women aged 20-30 and 26.1% of those aged 30-40 had fibroids, but the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.151). Similarly, BMI categories showed no significant association with fibroid presence (p=0.797). These results suggest that while uterine fibroids are common in women with infertility, their occurrence does not appear to be strongly influenced by age or BMI in this study. Conclusion: Uterine fibroids are not uncommon in our population among women with infertility. These findings underline the complexity of infertility etiology and the multifactorial nature of uterine fibroid development. Further research with larger, more diverse cohorts is warranted to better understand the interplay of various risk factors and to optimize the management strategies for women with infertility.