Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Med.
Sec. Obstetrics and Gynecology
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1430570

Long-term Follow Up of Fecundability After Ectopic Pregnancy in Taiwan: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

Provisionally accepted
Chih-Hsiang Yin Chih-Hsiang Yin 1,2Yi-Liang Lee Yi-Liang Lee 1,2,3*Chia-Ching Chang Chia-Ching Chang 1,2*Wu-Chien Chien Wu-Chien Chien 4,5,6,7*Gwo- Jang Wu Gwo- Jang Wu 1,2,5*
  • 1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
  • 2 National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
  • 3 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
  • 4 Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
  • 5 Department of Medical Research, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
  • 6 School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
  • 7 Taiwanese Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Association, Taipei, Taiwan

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Ectopic pregnancy (EP) occurs when a fertilized ovum is implanted outside the uterine cavity. Its incidence is 2% of all pregnancies and is known to decrease fertility. This study aimed to measure pregnancy rates after EP, identify the various parameters influencing pregnancy, and compare these variables in women with and without a history of EP, as well as determine in which medical facilities women with EP seek medical help. Methods: The data was extracted from the National Health Insurance Research Database during 2000–2013. The study group included of women with a history of one EP (study group) and women without EP (control group). The chi-square/Fisher exact test was performed for categorical variables, and t-tests were used for continuous variables. Results: The EP group had a higher cumulative pregnancy rate (41.55%) than the control group (37.14 %), and a 1.16 times higher rate in developing pregnancy (p<0.001). While the pregnancy rate in the EP group was initially lower than in the control group during the first 5 years, it surpassed the control group’s rate between the 10th and 14th years. Conclusions: Fecundability after EP was lower at the beginning but increased at long-term follow-up.

    Keywords: Ectopic pregnancy, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Rate, Fecundability, National Health Insurance Research Database

    Received: 05 Jul 2024; Accepted: 15 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Yin, Lee, Chang, Chien and Wu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Yi-Liang Lee, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    Chia-Ching Chang, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    Wu-Chien Chien, Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
    Gwo- Jang Wu, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.