OBJECTIVE: To explore women's awareness of issues associated with delayed childbearing, including its social and medical implications and the limitations of available treatment. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: University-based tertiary care clinics. PATIENT(S): Three hundred sixty-two women attending a subfertility clinic and 362 pregnant women. INTERVENTION(S): A precoded questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Awareness and perceptions of issues surrounding delay in childbearing. RESULT(S): Subfertile women were, on average, 3.3 years older (95% confidence interval 2.5-4.1) and more likely to have tried for their first pregnancy after the age of 30 years (37.3% vs. 24.6%). Despite awareness of the impact of age on fertility, 85% of the subfertile group expected IVF to overcome the effects of age compared with 77% of the pregnant population. Knowledge about age-related obstetric risks, such as trisomy 21, was similar in both groups (86.3% vs. 85%). Almost all participants (94.5%) believed that women should be informed about the implications of delaying childbearing at an early age. CONCLUSION(S): Women are largely aware of the risks and complications of delaying childbirth, but erroneously believe that IVF can reverse the effects of age. There is a need to provide accurate information in the community.
OBJECTIVE: To explore women's awareness of issues associated with delayed childbearing, including its social and medical implications and the limitations of available treatment. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: University-based tertiary care clinics. PATIENT(S): Three hundred sixty-two women attending a subfertility clinic and 362 pregnant women. INTERVENTION(S): A precoded questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Awareness and perceptions of issues surrounding delay in childbearing. RESULT(S): Subfertile women were, on average, 3.3 years older (95% confidence interval 2.5-4.1) and more likely to have tried for their first pregnancy after the age of 30 years (37.3% vs. 24.6%). Despite awareness of the impact of age on fertility, 85% of the subfertile group expected IVF to overcome the effects of age compared with 77% of the pregnant population. Knowledge about age-related obstetric risks, such as trisomy 21, was similar in both groups (86.3% vs. 85%). Almost all participants (94.5%) believed that women should be informed about the implications of delaying childbearing at an early age. CONCLUSION(S): Women are largely aware of the risks and complications of delaying childbirth, but erroneously believe that IVF can reverse the effects of age. There is a need to provide accurate information in the community.
Authors: Krista J Childress; Angela K Lawson; Marissa S Ghant; Gricelda Mendoza; Eden R Cardozo; Edmond Confino; Erica E Marsh Journal: Fertil Steril Date: 2015-05-21 Impact factor: 7.329
Authors: Marinus J C Eijkemans; Frans van Poppel; Dik F Habbema; Ken R Smith; Henri Leridon; Egbert R te Velde Journal: Hum Reprod Date: 2014-03-27 Impact factor: 6.918
Authors: Erum Azhar; David B Seifer; Katherine Melzer; Ahmed Ahmed; Jeremy Weedon; Howard Minkoff Journal: J Assist Reprod Genet Date: 2015-01-18 Impact factor: 3.412