Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding conception and fertility: a population-based survey among reproductive-age United States women

Lundsberg, Lisbet S.; Pal, Lubna; Gariepy, Aileen M.; Xu, Xiao; Chu, Micheline C.; Illuzzi, Jessica L.

doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.12.006

Cited by 132 publications

(151 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Certainly there is considerable evidence to indicate there are gaps in women's knowledge about the fertility lifespan, agerelated infertility, maternal and fetal outcomes associated with AMA, and the inability of ART to fully compensate for age-related declines in fertility. [3,[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]30] In a recent Canadian survey of 3,345 childless women who presumed they were fertile and were open to having children in the future, the respondents perceived their fertility and ART knowledge was significantly higher than their actual knowledge. Of 16 questions focused on the fertility lifespan and the costs and success rates of IVF and egg freezing, 50% or more of the women answered only 6 questions correctly.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…[3][4][5][6][7][8][9] The increasing availability and acceptability of assisted reproductive treatments (ART) such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and egg freezing have also been identified as contributing to women's beliefs that they can safely extend their childbearing years, [10][11][12][13] as have gaps in women's knowledge about the risks associated with delaying childbearing. [3,[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] Despite significant increases in the last 20 years in the number of mothers of advanced maternal age (AMA), typically defined as 35 years of age or older, [10] pronatalistic values still appear to be pervasive in reference to women who "choose" to delay motherhood. Although there are those whose research findings challenge the belief that the decision to delay or postpone childbearing is a "conscious choice" [5] (p. 30), women who delay starting a family past their mid 30s are often faced with harsh criticism and judgment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Between a rock and a hard place: The reasons why women delay childbearing

Daniluk

Koert

2017

IJH

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The increasing trend for women to delay childbearing is often met with harsh criticism and judgment, based on the assumption that women are prioritizing their careers over having children. An on-line survey of 500 currently childless Canadian women between the ages of 18 and 38 (M = 28) assessed participants' childbearing intentions and beliefs, and the factors they felt were most important in the timing of childbearing. Although the respondents felt women should ideally have their first child in their late 20s, most expected that they would begin their families in their 30s. The ability to financially support a child was the most strongly endorsed factor in the timing of childbearing, followed by good health, being with a partner who would be an involved and loving parent, and having a proper home in which to raise a child. These findings highlight the values and beliefs that were most salient in participants' decisions about the timing of childbearing.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Between a rock and a hard place: The reasons why women delay childbearing

Daniluk

Koert

2017

IJH

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“…Several studies of fertility knowledge in the general population only sampled women (Bretherick et al, 2010;Daniluk et al, 2012;Lundsberg et al, 2014), and studies on men have tended to use samples of secondary and postsecondary students, thereby limiting the generalizability of the results (e.g. Trent et al, 2006;Bunting and Boivin, 2008;Quach and Librach, 2008;Ekelin et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Men's knowledge of their own fertility: a population-based survey examining the awareness of factors that are associated with male infertility

Daumler

Chan

et al. 2016

Hum. Reprod.

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STUDY QUESTION: How knowledgeable are men about the medical, environmental and psychological factors that are associated with male infertility? SUMMARY ANSWER: Men, across most demographic groups, have limited knowledge of the various factors that are associated with male infertility.WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Few surveys have focused on men's knowledge of their own fertility. Studies of both men and women have found that men are comparatively less knowledgeable about issues of fertility and reproductive health.STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: A regionally representative sample of Canadian men completed a web-based survey of male fertility and reproductive health, over a 2-month period in 2015.PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Men, aged 18-50 years, were recruited for the study. There were 701 male participants, with a mean age of 34.1 years. Each participant was asked to identify factors associated with male infertility; fertility knowledge was assessed through two open-ended questions and a comprehensive list of risk factors and attendant health issues.MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Men were only able to identify 51% of the risk factors and 45% of the health issues associated with male infertility. Men were most aware of the modifiable risk factors for infertility (e.g. sexually transmitted infections, smoking cigarettes), relative to their knowledge of fixed risk factors (e.g. delayed puberty, size of testicles) and the attendant health issues (e.g. cardiovascular disease, diabetes). The overall level of fertility knowledge did not vary by most demographic characteristics (e.g. age, education, employment, income), though men from ethnic minority groups displayed moderately greater awareness. Additionally, younger men, those with lower incomes and those who had no desire to have future biological children were more likely to identify themselves as unaware of associations with infertility in the open-ended questions. Self-reported knowledge was significantly associated with higher overall knowledge scores. More than half of the sample expressed an interest in obtaining information about male fertility and reproductive health, with the majority of these men indicating that medical professionals and online sources were their preferred methods for receiving information. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION:Participants were self-selected and required to have Internet access in order to participate. This may affect the generalizability of results. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS:Previous studies of fertility knowledge have either omitted men from their samples or when men have been included, they were asked about general fertility or women's fertility. This is the first large-scale survey that focuses solely on men's knowledge of male fertility. Insight into the areas where men's knowledge may be lacking can inform strategies for © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: j...

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“…Despite this, when the decision is taken to start a family, expectations are that it will happen quickly and many women wish to control the process. However, many women are unfamiliar with their ovulatory cycle, e.g., approximately 40% of women in a recent US study were unaware that ovulation usually occurs 14 days prior to menses or that clear mucous vaginal discharge is a sign of impending ovulation [4]. This lack of knowledge of personal ovulatory cycles is especially pertinent for women following discontinuation of oral contraceptives, which will have masked their natural cycles, sometimes for many years [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This lack of knowledge of personal ovulatory cycles is especially pertinent for women following discontinuation of oral contraceptives, which will have masked their natural cycles, sometimes for many years [5]. In addition, a third of US women, participating in this recent study, were unaware of the adverse effects of reproductive aging, sexually transmitted infections, obesity or irregular menses on fertility [4]. Furthermore, in a UK study of women trying to conceive, only 12.7% of women correctly estimated their day of ovulation, and only 55% estimated an ovulation day that fell within their fertile window [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%