Long-term reproductive outcomes in patients with unexplained infertility: follow-up of the Fast Track and Standard Treatment Trial participants

Objective To evaluate long-term reproductive outcomes in couples who were enrolled in a large randomized controlled trial that studied optimal treatment for unexplained infertility. Design Telephone survey, administered between March 2019 and February 2020. Setting Large urban university-affiliated fertility center. Patient(s) Couples who enrolled in the Fast Track and Standard Treatment Trial (FASTT). Intervention(s) None. Main Outcomes Measure(s) Number of live births, methods of conception, adoption, and satisfaction regarding family size. Result(s) Of the 503 couples enrolled in FASTT, 311 (61.8%) were contacted and 286 (56.9%) consented to participate. The mean age and follicle-stimulating hormone level at the time of enrollment in FASTT were 33.1 ± 3.2 years and 6.8 ± 2.2 mIU/mL, respectively, for those who participated in this study. The mean age at follow-up was 49.5 ± 3.4 years. Of the 286 women, 194 (67.8%) had a live birth during the trial and 225 (78.7%) continued to try to conceive after FASTT. Of those who tried to conceive without treatment, 101 of 157 (64.3%) had a successful live birth, whereas 12 (5.3%) women had a live birth via intrauterine insemination and 82 (36.4%) via autologous oocyte in vitro fertilization. Overall, 182 (80.9%) women achieved a live birth after FASTT. Conclusion(s) The majority of couples were able to achieve a live birth after FASTT. Only 19 (6.6%) never achieved a live birth during their reproductive years. Moving to treatment sooner allows the opportunity to achieve >1 live birth, which is associated with increased satisfaction regarding family size. This further supports access to care and insurance coverage for infertility treatment.