Development of an evidence-based website on preconception health

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Background: Reproductive life plan counseling (RLPC) is a tool to encourage women and men to reflect upon their reproduction, to avoid unintended pregnancies and negative health behavior that can threaten reproduction. The aim was to evaluate the effect of RLPC among women attending contraceptive counseling. Outcomes were knowledge about fertility and awareness of preconception health, use of contraception, and women’s experience of RLPC.Material and methods: Swedish-speaking women, aged 20–40 years, were randomized to intervention group (IG) or control group (CG). Participants (n = 1,946) answered a questionnaire before and two months after (n = 1,198, 62%) the consultation. All women received standard contraceptive counseling, and the IG also received the RLPC, i.e. questions on reproductive intentions, information about fertility, and preconception health.Results: Women in the IG increased their knowledge about fertility: age and fertility, chances of getting pregnant, fecundity of an ovum, and chances of having a child with help of IVF. They also increased their awareness of factors affecting preconception health, such as to stop using tobacco, to refrain from alcohol, to be of normal weight, and to start with folic acid before a pregnancy. The most commonly used contraceptive method was combined oral contraceptives, followed by long-acting reversible contraception. Three out of four women (76%) in the IG stated that the RLPC should be part of the routine in contraceptive counseling.Conclusions: Knowledge about fertility and awareness of preconception health increased after the intervention. The RLPC can be recommended as a tool in contraceptive counseling.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An intervention in contraceptive counseling increased the knowledge about fertility and awareness of preconception health—a randomized controlled trial

Skogsdal

Fadl

Cao

et al. 2019

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“…In this case, governmental organizations ought to take the responsibility to provide reliable, inclusive, and comprehensible information, with a clear sender, as has been done for example in the USA and in Australia (36,37). In Sweden, a new mobile-friendly website with evidence-based information on fertility and lifestyle has recently been developed by our research group (www.reproduktivlivsplan.se) (38). A possible improvement of our trial could have been to offer participants access to an interactive app or homepage instead of the brochure, since most young men in Sweden today use smart phones.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can Reproductive Life Plan-based counselling increase men’s fertility awareness?

Bodin

Tydén

Käll

et al. 2018

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Background: Many men have limited knowledge about reproductive health and fertility. The aim of the study was to evaluate if Reproductive Life Plan (RLP)-based counselling during a sexual health visit could increase men’s fertility awareness.Material and methods: The study was a randomized controlled trial including 201 men aged 18–50 who visited either of two participating sexual health clinics in Sweden for sexually transmitted infection testing during 2014–2016. All men received standard care, and men in the intervention group (IG) also received oral and written RLP-based information about lifestyle and fertility. Awareness about fertility and lifestyle-related factors were the main outcomes, measured through a questionnaire before the intervention and through a telephone survey after three months. Impressions from the counselling were also assessed at follow-up.Results: A majority (71%) of men wanted children in the future. General fertility awareness increased from a mean score of 4.6 to 5.5 out of 12 (P = 0.004) in the IG. The mean number of accurate lifestyle factors (that could affect fertility) mentioned increased from 3.6 to 4.4 (P < 0.001) in the IG. There were no improvements in the control group. Among the men in the IG, 76% had a positive experience of the counselling, and 77% had received new information.Conclusion: The intervention managed to increase different aspects of men’s fertility awareness. In the future, the format for preconception care for men needs further development. Including men in preconception health policy guidelines and identifying suitable actors for care provision would be important first steps.

“…The website was translated into English, French, Arab, Greek, Spanish, and Somali to facilitate the use among women who could not read Swedish. A majority of midwives identified the quiz about fertility as a helpful tool ( 49 ). Midwives in primary health care testing this website found it useful and referred clients to read more on their own.…”

Section: Online Fertility Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Knowledge about the impact of age on fertility: a brief review

Delbaere

Verbiest

Tydén

2020

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Delayed childbearing is currently a major challenge in reproductive medicine as increased age has an important impact on successful conception, both in natural and in assisted reproduction. There is a lack of knowledge about the impact of age on fertility, even in highly educated populations. A number of initiatives have been taken to increase fertility awareness. Health care providers have been encouraged to talk with patients about their reproductive life plan (RLP) for almost a decade based on recommendations from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. This concept has been explored successfully in Swedish contraception counselling. A growing number of online interventions aim to raise fertility awareness. These websites or interactive tools provide relevant information for individuals and couples as they consider whether they want children, when they should have them, and how many they may wish to have. These interventions are important, because research depicts that knowledge helps people in their decision-making process. With new fertility preservations such as egg freezing now available, additional education is needed to be sure that women and couples are well informed about the cost and low success rates of this intervention.