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. (Fertil Steril(R) 2012;97:420-6. (C) 2012 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.)