Knowledge and attitudes regarding elective oocyte cryopreservation in undergraduate and medical students

Abstract

Background To assess knowledge and attitudes regarding elective oocyte cryopreservation among female undergraduate students (UG) and medical students (MS) in Eastern Virginia. Methods An anonymous cross-sectional study surveying female UG at a local university and MS at our academic medical center in May of 2017. The survey contained questions on demographic information, interest in fertility preservation, and knowledge about age related changes in fertility. Results There were 74 of 102 female UG and 95 of 117 female MS who responded, for a response rate of 73 and 81% respectively. UG were significantly younger than MS (21.4 vs 26.8, p < 0.001). Further, UG generally planned on conceiving at a younger age than MS (age 26–30 vs 31–35), and favored younger ages to consider oocyte cryopreservation (age 26–30 vs 31–35). Only a minority of both UG and MS were willing to undergo egg freezing at the current price of approximately $10,000 (15% vs 26% respectively, p = 0.044). Moreover, 73% of students overall responded that they would be more likely to freeze oocytes if their employer paid. Notably, both UG and MS underestimated age of fertility decline. Conclusion Both UG and MS revealed a need for education on age-related changes in fertility. Most UG and MS would not undergo elective oocyte cryopreservation at the present cost but would consider it at a lower cost. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40738-019-0057-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Exploring women’s attitudes, knowledge, and intentions to use oocyte freezing for non‐medical reasons: A systematic review

“…In this review, career advancement was not found to be a direct motivating factor in studies of known or potential OFNMR users 27,40,41,43 . However, from studies involving the general public, “career” was frequently cited as a reason to consider OFNMR 24,28‐30,32,36 . This includes two recent studies among student populations that identified career advancement to be a strong motivating factor to undergo OFNMR 24,32 .…”

“…Two studies, both evaluating American university students'/graduates' knowledge, reported that 33%‐56% of women had overly optimistic perceptions of age‐related fertility decline 18,21 . In Mahesan et al's study, 48% of students identified fertility decline to be greatest at age 36‐40 years 24 . Hickman et al's study reported that only 15% of women understood the likelihood of infertility at age 45 years 21 .…”

“…In one study, 53% of women perceived £3000 per freezing cycle as too expensive 29 . Three studies stated that 71%‐73% of women would consider OFNMR if the cost was subsidized by employer or the government 19,24,30 . Tozzo et al reported that 50% of students would be more likely to consider OFNMR if it were subsidized; however, only 2.5% of participants thought the cost should be borne by employers 32 .…”

“…However, from studies involving the general public, “career” was frequently cited as a reason to consider OFNMR 24,28‐30,32,36 . This includes two recent studies among student populations that identified career advancement to be a strong motivating factor to undergo OFNMR 24,32 . However, these two studies involve women in their early 20s and is not reflective of the population of women who choose to undergo OFNMR.…”

Perceptions, outcomes, and regret following social egg freezing in the UK; a cross‐sectional survey

“…Other factors that are widely reported to influence motivations to undergo SEF include financial stability and career aspiration. Recent studies among student populations have identified career aspiration to be the most prevalent reason to undergo SEF, with 50.2%‐63% willing to consider it for this reason . However, these studies were undertaken in women in their early 20s, which is not reflective of the population who undergo SEF.…”