In-depth analysis of the demographic landscape and clinical outcomes of assisted reproductive technologies in Türkiye: a comprehensive survey for the years 2020 and 2021.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate patient characteristics and outcomes of assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles conducted in Türkiye during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (2020-2021).

Material and methods: ART centers in Türkiye were invited to participate in this survey. The questionnaire focused on patient demographics and performance outcomes and was sent to center directors via anonymous Qualtrics™ links.

Results: The survey was sent to 167 centers and data were collected from 15 centers in 2020 and 24 centers in 2021. The clinical pregnancy rate from intrauterine insemination (IUI) procedures remained similar, with 15.1% in 2020 (1,245 IUI cycles) and 14.5% in 2021 (2,023 IUI cycles), while successful delivery rates were 12.5% and 11.5%, respectively. For ART treatments, the clinical pregnancy rate from fresh embryo transfers increased from 45.1% in 2020 (3,119 transfers) to 50.4% in 2021 (8832 transfers), with similar live birth rates, 34.2% vs. 34.4%. Frozen embryo transfers resulted in clinical pregnancy rates of 47.8% in 2020 (2,498 transfers) and 51.9% in 2021 (12,015 transfers), with live birth rates rising from 39.8% to 42.7%. Preimplantation genetic testing cycles resulted in clinical pregnancy rates of 64.2% in 2020 (271 transfers) and 60.8% in 2021 (2,102 transfers), with live birth rates of 53.5% and 48.2%, respectively. Regarding techniques for fertility preservation in females, 11 prepubertal and 61 postpubertal ovarian tissue cryopreservation procedures were reported, alongside 1,346 cycles performed within the same period. In males, 144 post-pubertal testicular tissue, 871 epididymal and 2,480 ejaculated sperm cryopreservations were reported. During the two years, six ovarian tissue transplantations followed by ART were performed, with 96 women using cryopreserved oocytes. In addition, 40 testicular tissue, 298 epididymal, and 238 ejaculated sperm samples were used for ART purposes.

Conclusion: This survey provides a comprehensive overview of ART practices in Türkiye for 2020 and 2021, establishing a long-term, nationallevel analysis while highlighting the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The longitudinal analysis established a foundation for future annual reports and offers critical insights into emerging trends over these two years.