Intercourse compliance, ovulation, and treatment success in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development-Reproductive Medicine Network's Pregnancy in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PPCOS) Trial

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the relationship among intercourse compliance, ovulation, and the occurrence of pregnancy in the Reproductive Medicine Network's Pregnancy in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (RMNPPCOS) Trial.

Design: Post hoc data analysis of subjects in the Reproductive Medicine Network PPCOS Trial.

Setting: Academic medical centers.

Intervention(s): None.

Patient(s): Six hundred twenty-six infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome with a mean age of 28.1+/-4 years and mean body mass index of 35.2+/-8.7 kg/m2.

Main outcome measure(s): Intercourse compliance, ovulation, and pregnancy.

Result(s): Data on 2925 cycles were included in the analysis, of which 1340 were ovulatory cycles and 1585 were nonovulatory cycles. The rates of intercourse compliance in the PPCOS trial were similar across all treatment groups at all cycles except cycle 4. Among cycles with known ovulation status, 81.2% of patients were compliant with intercourse instructions. Patients were more intercourse compliant in those cycles during which ovulation occurred (83.2% vs. 79.4%). With regard to ovulatory cycles, there was no difference in the occurrence of pregnancy when comparing intercourse compliant versus intercourse noncompliant cycles.

Conclusion(s): Intercourse compliance was not associated with the occurrence of pregnancy in ovulatory cycles in the PPCOS Trial. The occurrence of ovulation still remains a critical predictor for the occurrence of pregnancy.