Differences in perceived stress during ovarian stimulation between women with infertility and those pursing oocyte cryopreservation.

Objective: To determine whether the purpose of ovarian stimulation (oocyte cryopreservation [OC] versus in vitro fertilization (IVF) is associated with perceived stress before or after ovarian stimulation; and whether perceived stress is associated with ovarian stimulation outcomes.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Academic practice.

Patients: Women undergoing their first ovarian stimulation cycle as part of a randomized clinical trial, the Learning from Online Video Education (LOVE) study (NCT02979990).

Interventions: Questionnaire before and after ovarian stimulation.

Main Outcome Measures(s): Perceived stress scale (PSS) scores before and after stimulation. The number of oocytes collected was a secondary measure.

Results: After adjustment for age, income, race, education, financial assistance, and fertility diagnosis, the indication for treatment (IVF vs. OC) was a significant predictor of pretreatment PSS scores. IVF participants had higher pretreatment scores (18.01 ± 6.43) than did OC participants (15.62 ± 5.61). Posttreatment PSS scores did not differ between the two groups. IVF participants experienced a decrease of 0.85 ± 2.34 points in PSS scores after treatment, whereas OC participant scores were stable over time. The trajectory of PSS scores differed between the two groups and neared significance. Financial support was a significant predictor of pretreatment and posttreatment PSS scores for the entire cohort. Neither pretreatment nor posttreatment PSS was predictive of the number oocytes collected.

Conclusion: Compared with OC patients, IVF patients have higher stress levels, which decrease after ovarian stimulation. Perceived stress does not affect oocyte yield.