Abstract

Background:Female infertility is partly due to reproductive hormone deregulation involving the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. A high prevalence of female infertility has been reported in the Southwest region of Cameroon, however, little attention has been paid to the hormonal contribution.

Objective:This study reports on the implication of hormones in female infertility in two regional hospitals in the Southwest Region of Cameroon.

Methods:A hospital-based case-control study was conducted in Buea and Limbe regional hospitals. Cases (n=86), and controls (n=40), comprising menstruating and breastfeeding mothers were enrolled from the infertility clinics and vaccination units respectively.Follicle stimulating hormone(FSH), luteinizing hormone(LH) and oestradiol were measured on days 1–3 and progesterone on days 21–22 of the menstrual cycle using ELISA method. Data were analysed using Mann Whitney U-rank,Chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression with p<0.05 considered significant.

Results:Most of the women(57%) were aged between 26 and 35, and overweight or obese(77%). Mann Whitney test showed a significant increase in FSH(12.47±5.57 IU/L) for cases than (8.88± 1.50 IU/L) controls (p=0.001), a significant decrease in LH(6.55±7.19 IU/L) for cases than controls (9.57±2.75 IU/L), (p=0.001), contrasted by a significant decrease in progesterone (13.48±5.89ng/mL) for cases compared to controls (6.63±7.23ng/mL), (p=0.001).Oestradiol was not statistically significant (p=0.573).Age of participant and age at menarche were the only statistically significant (p=0.001), risk factors for infertility.

Conclusion:This study revealed that high follicle stimulating hormone and low progesterone are the primary hormonal abnormalities likely to be responsible for female fertility in the study area which were associated with increase in age and age at menarche.