INFERTILITY-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AND THE FERTIQOL INSTRUMENT: A NARRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Infertility is a widespread global health condition with consequences that extend far beyond reproductive impairment, affecting emotional well-being, interpersonal relationships, social functioning, and overall quality of life. Conventional biomedical indicators, such as pregnancy and live-birth rates, provide an incomplete representation of treatment success and fail to capture the lived experience of individuals undergoing fertility care. A narrative literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar for articles published between 2010 and 2025 using keywords including ‘FertiQoL’, ‘fertility quality of life’, and ‘infertility patient-reported outcomes. This review was not conducted as a systematic review. This mini review examines the Fertility Quality of Life (FertiQoL) instrument, a standardised, internationally developed patient-reported outcome measure designed to assess the multidimensional impact of infertility. FertiQoL comprises 36 items organised into a Core module (Emotional, Mind–Body, Relational, and social domains) and a Treatment module (Treatment Environment and Treatment Tolerability), enabling distinction between infertility-related burden and treatment-specific effects. Evidence from psychometric validation studies and cross-cultural applications demonstrates good reliability, construct validity, and sensitivity across diverse populations and treatment settings. The reviewed literature highlights the clinical, research, and patient-level utility of FertiQoL, including identification of psychosocial risk, enhancement of clinician–patient communication, evaluation of interventions beyond biological outcomes, and support for patient self-reflection and empowerment. Despite its widespread use, gaps remain in understanding longitudinal changes in quality of life, the impact of partner dynamics, and applicability in diverse healthcare settings. Future research should explore these areas, including longitudinal studies, culturally adapted interventions, and integration of FertiQoL into routine clinical decision-making to further advance patient-centered infertility care