Childless women's knowledge of fertility and assisted human reproduction: identifying the gaps

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.