TITLE:
Associated Factors of Female Infertility in Patients with Uterine Fibroids in Yaoundé: A Case Control Study
AUTHORS:
Serge Robert Nyada, Frédérique Gracia Malapa, Véronique Batoum Mboua, Christiane Nsahlaï, Michèle Mendoua, Cliford Ebong Ebontane, Isidore Tompeen, Pascale Mpono Emenguele, Vanina Ngono Akam, Valère Mve Koh
KEYWORDS:
Female Infertility, Uterine Fibroids, Associated Factors, Yaoundé
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.16 No.4,
April
2,
2026
ABSTRACT: Background: Infertility is a major public health issue. Uterine fibroids have been found to be one of the causes of female infertility. Although controversies still exist regarding the link between uterine fibroids and infertility, it seemed important to carry out this study in order to determine the factors associated with the occurrence of infertility in women with fibroids in our settings. Materials and Methods: We conducted a case-control study in three hospitals in the city Yaoundé between January 2020 and December 2024. On one hand, patients with exclusive female infertility and uterine fibroids constituted the cases; on the other hand, patients with spontaneous pregnancy and/or who had given birth and who had uterine fibroids were controls. Results: We included 180 medical records, comprising 89 cases and 91 controls. Bivariate analysis revealed the following factors associated with an increased risk of infertility: age between 20 and 29 years (OR = 4.6 [1.7 - 12.3], p = 0.002); age ≥ 40 years (OR = 21.5 [7.2 - 64.1], p = 0.001); working in the informal sector (OR = 4.35 [1.69 - 11.19], p = 0.002); and having more than five uterine fibroids (OR = 8.9 [3.43 - 23.4], p = 0.001). A higher education level (OR = 0.1 [0.01 - 0.89], p = 0.04) was considered protective. No significant association was found with gynecological history, body mass index, fibroid size, or FIGO classification. After multivariate analysis, only age above 30 and having more than five fibroids were reported as increasing the risk of infertility. Conclusion: Being above 30 years of age and having more than five uterine fibroids were factors associated with an increased risk of infertility.