The hormones used in fertility treatment come in various forms. Progesterone used for luteal phase support is often administered vaginally as either suppositories, tablets or gel. However, in Denmark the administration of progesterone as a subcutaneous injection has newly been introduced. The aim of the study was to explore patient attitudes towards and satisfaction with subcutaneous injection of progesterone versus vaginal administration of progesterone in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) treatments.

Methods and analysis

A qualitative study with online and face to face interviews with a total of 19 women undergoing an ART treatment. Only women with at least one previous blastocyst transfer using vaginal progesterone or subcutaneous progesterone could be recruited. All participants were included from either the Fertility Clinic at Copenhagen University Hospital – Herlev and Gentofte or from the Fertility Unit at Aalborg University Hospital.

Results

The analysis resulted in four themes: (1) medication, (2) everyday life, (3) bodily experiences and (4) infertility or hope. Most informants highlighted the administration of subcutaneous progesterone only once a day and avoidance of the vaginal discharge as clear advantages. Reasons for preferring the vaginal administration were inconvenience of bringing the subcutaneous medication along and resistance to inject oneself.

Conclusion

The findings of this study suggest that the satisfaction with the subcutaneous progesterone is generally positive. However, valuable thoughts have given insights into possible areas, which could be improved. Further, that some women prefer vaginal progesterone. The results show that the women are interested in being included in the decision-making when choosing the administration form of progesterone.

中文翻译：

---

辅助生殖技术治疗中患者对皮下注射黄体酮与阴道给药的态度和满意度

用于生育治疗的激素有多种形式。用于黄体期支持的黄体酮通常以栓剂、片剂或凝胶形式经阴道给药。然而，在丹麦，新近引入了皮下注射黄体酮的方法。该研究的目的是探讨辅助生殖技术（ART）治疗中患者对皮下注射黄体酮与阴道注射黄体酮的态度和满意度。

方法与分析

这是一项对 19 名接受 ART 治疗的女性进行在线和面对面访谈的定性研究。只有之前至少接受过一次使用阴道孕酮或皮下孕酮进行囊胚移植的女性才能被招募。所有参与者均来自哥本哈根大学医院赫尔莱夫和根措夫特生育诊所或奥尔堡大学医院生育科。

结果

分析得出四个主题：（1）药物、（2）日常生活、（3）身体体验和（4）不孕或希望。大多数受访者强调，每天仅皮下注射一次黄体酮和避免阴道分泌物是明显的优势。首选阴道给药的原因是携带皮下注射药物不方便且不愿自行注射。

结论

这项研究的结果表明，皮下注射黄体酮的满意度总体上是积极的。然而，有价值的想法提供了对可能需要改进的领域的见解。此外，一些女性更喜欢阴道黄体酮。结果表明，女性在选择黄体酮给药形式时有兴趣参与决策。