If the link between higher stress levels and lower chances of conception is indeed a causal association, concludes this study from Boston University, part of this association could be linked to a reduction in the frequency of sexual intercourse. and increased irregularity of the menstrual cycle. But, in summary, stress is confirmed here, in the American Journal of Epidemiology, as a serious factor in reducing fertility in women.
20 to 25% of women and 18 to 21% of men of childbearing age report feeling daily psychological stress, say these Boston researchers. But, while previous studies have already suggested that stress can reduce the chances of conception, few studies have examined this association in the general population. This new study confirms that higher levels of daily stress are indeed associated with reduced chances of conception in women. But not in men.
The study does not prove that stress causes infertility, says Amelia Wesselink, lead author of the study, but it does add to the evidence for the value of incorporating mental health care into counseling women before design.
This is an analysis of data from the Presto study, a cohort that follows couples for 12 months or until pregnancy. The researchers followed 4,769 women and 1,272 men with no history of infertility who had not tried to conceive for more than 6 menstrual cycles. The researchers rated their participants' perceived stress using a stress scale ranging from 0 (never) up to a total of 40, indicating a higher level of perceived stress. The researchers also took into account a range of demographic and behavioral factors, including ethnicity, household income, diet, sleep and frequency of sexual intercourse. The analysis finds that:
- on average, baseline perceived stress scores are about 1 point higher in women than in men;
- mean perceived stress scores in women remained relatively constant over 12 months of follow-up;
- women with a perceived stress score >25 have a 13% reduced chance of conceiving vs women with a perceived stress score <10;
- this association is stronger in women who had been trying to conceive for 2 menstrual cycles before joining the cohort, vs in women who had been trying for at least 3 cycles before joining;
- the association is also stronger in women younger than 35 years.
The researchers thus confirm a link between higher stress levels and lower chances of conception, however they also show that this link could be partly explained by a decrease in the frequency of sexual intercourse and an increased irregularity of the menstrual cycle. .
Discordance of stress in the partner also affects fertility: The association between the perceived stress score and the probability of conceiving is not found in men. However, couples are found to be about 25% less likely to conceive when the men's perceived stress score is <10 and the women's is >20. The authors call this pattern “partner stress mismatch,” a pattern that may also affect the likelihood of conception, although at this stage this remains a hypothesis to be confirmed.
.jpg)
