{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,28]],"date-time":"2026-01-28T23:25:20Z","timestamp":1769642720212,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,23]],"date-time":"2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1737590400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Infertile people experience a lot of psychological stress due to the inability to conceive and achieve pregnancy. Studies on the quality of life (QoL) of people undergoing infertility treatment typically show a lower QoL for couples struggling with reproductive problems. In recent years, a new factor that may have had a stressful impact on people treated for infertility is the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the QoL of Polish women treated for infertility and on the secretion of selected sex hormones. Methods: The study sample consisted of 600 women undergoing treatment due to infertility and 100 healthy women in a control group. The World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) and the Polish version of the questionnaire Fertility Quality of Life (FertiQoL) were used for data collection. The levels of selected hormones were measured from blood samples. Results: The effects of the pandemic were visible primarily in the reduced QoL of patients. The QoL in terms of physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environmental sphere was drastically reduced by COVID-19, especially among women treated with IVF (in vitro fertilization) and IUI (intrauterine insemination). The hormonal status of women treated for infertility during the pandemic significantly changed due to a decrease in FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone) secretion and an increase in PRL (prolactin). Conclusions: The pandemic resulted in a decline in the QoL of women with reproductive problems. The quality of life was influenced by the type of therapy used during infertility treatment. The study also suggests a relationship between a decrease in the quality of life of persons treated for infertility during the pandemic and their hormonal status.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm14030721","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,23]],"date-time":"2025-01-23T05:49:54Z","timestamp":1737611394000},"page":"721","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Hormonal Status and Quality of Life of Women Treated for Infertility Before and During COVID-19 Pandemic in Poland"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Kamila","family":"W\u00f3jtowicz","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical Center \u0141a\u0144cut Gynecology and Obstetrics Department, 37-100 \u0141a\u0144cut, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5513-4765","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Justyna","family":"Kot","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-126 Krak\u00f3w, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Marta","family":"Makara-Studzi\u0144ska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health Sciences, Vincent Pol University in Lublin, 20-853 Lublin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Natalia","family":"Wdowiak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Lublin, Staszica 4-6 Street, 20-081 Lublin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Micha\u0142","family":"Filip","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Pathology of Pregnancy, Medical University of Lublin, Staszica 4-6 Street, 20-081 Lublin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5772-0573","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andrzej","family":"Wr\u00f3bel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Second Department of Gynecology, Medical University of Lublin, Jaczewskiego 8, 20-090 Lublin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jan","family":"Wr\u00f3bel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical Faculty, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dorota","family":"Matuszyk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-126 Krak\u00f3w, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Melania","family":"Bojar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Lublin, Staszica 4-6 Street, 20-081 Lublin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4106-3051","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Joanna","family":"Bartosi\u0144ska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cosmetology and Aestetic Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, 20-059 Lublin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7011-2345","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Artur","family":"Wdowiak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Lublin, Staszica 4-6 Street, 20-081 Lublin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"WHO (2000). 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