TY - JOUR
T1 - The importance of the 'family clock'
T2 - women's lived experience of fertility decision-making 6 years after attending the Fertility Assessment and Counselling Clinic
AU - Koert, Emily
AU - Sylvest, Randi
AU - Vittrup, Ida
AU - Hvidman, Helene Westring
AU - Petersen, Kathrine Birch
AU - Boivin, Jacky
AU - Nyboe Andersen, Anders
AU - Schmidt, Lone
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - This study explored women's lived experience of making fertility decisions six years after attending the Fertility Assessment and Counselling (FAC) clinic in Copenhagen, Denmark, which is a personalised fertility awareness intervention. We conducted a qualitative interview study with 24 women who attended the FAC clinic 6 years earlier. Interviews were semi-structured and broadly examined the women's perceptions and experience of the intervention during follow-up. Data was analysed using a phenomenological framework and themes were identified related to women's experience of making fertility decisions after attending the FAC clinic. The overarching theme regarding the women's lived experience of making fertility decisions after attending the FAC clinic was: Fertility decisions were guided by the 'family clock'. There were four themes: (i) Deciding to 'get started' by attending the FAC clinic; (ii) Sense of making informed and empowered decisions; (iii) Influence of partner status on fertility decisions; and (iv) Decisions dictated by circumstance over preference and knowledge. At follow-up, the majority (21 women, 88%) had become parents. More than half of the women said that they had not achieved their desired family size. Consideration of women's 'family clock' is necessary in personalised fertility awareness interventions to enable women to achieve their family goals.
AB - This study explored women's lived experience of making fertility decisions six years after attending the Fertility Assessment and Counselling (FAC) clinic in Copenhagen, Denmark, which is a personalised fertility awareness intervention. We conducted a qualitative interview study with 24 women who attended the FAC clinic 6 years earlier. Interviews were semi-structured and broadly examined the women's perceptions and experience of the intervention during follow-up. Data was analysed using a phenomenological framework and themes were identified related to women's experience of making fertility decisions after attending the FAC clinic. The overarching theme regarding the women's lived experience of making fertility decisions after attending the FAC clinic was: Fertility decisions were guided by the 'family clock'. There were four themes: (i) Deciding to 'get started' by attending the FAC clinic; (ii) Sense of making informed and empowered decisions; (iii) Influence of partner status on fertility decisions; and (iv) Decisions dictated by circumstance over preference and knowledge. At follow-up, the majority (21 women, 88%) had become parents. More than half of the women said that they had not achieved their desired family size. Consideration of women's 'family clock' is necessary in personalised fertility awareness interventions to enable women to achieve their family goals.
U2 - 10.1080/14647273.2021.1950851
DO - 10.1080/14647273.2021.1950851
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 34296635
VL - 25
JO - Human Fertility
JF - Human Fertility
SN - 1464-7273
IS - 2
ER -