Childless women's knowledge of fertility and assisted human reproduction: identifying the gaps
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
OBJECTIVE: To determine the knowledge about fertility and assisted human reproduction (AHR) treatments of a large sample of childless women.
DESIGN: Self-report questionnaire comprising two self-ratings of current fertility and AHR knowledge, and 16 knowledge questions related to fertility and AHR.
SETTING: Online.
PATIENT(S): A total of 3,345 childless women between the ages of 20 and 50.
INTERVENTION(S): None.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Knowledge of fertility and AHR.
RESULT(S): The majority of participants rated themselves as having some knowledge or being fairly knowledgeable about fertility and AHR. However, on the 16 knowledge questions, overall knowledge was low, with 50% or more of the sample answering only 6 of 16 questions correctly.
CONCLUSION(S): The data suggest that the women in the study have no coherent body of knowledge regarding age-related fertility and AHR treatment options. With an increasing number of women electing to delay childbearing, there is a critical need for public education regarding age-related fertility declines and the availability, costs, and limitations of AHR. This study offers important mental health contributions to infertility prevention and public health education efforts.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Fertility and Sterility |
Volume | 97 |
Issue number | 2 |
Pages (from-to) | 420-6 |
Number of pages | 7 |
ISSN | 0015-0282 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Feb 2012 |
Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Copyright © 2012 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
- Adult, Age Factors, Female, Fertility, Health Care Costs, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Health Literacy, Humans, Infertility, Female/economics, Internet, Middle Aged, Patient Education as Topic, Reproductive Behavior/psychology, Reproductive Techniques, Assisted/economics, Risk Factors, Surveys and Questionnaires, Young Adult
Research areas
ID: 242208459