How to talk to young adults about fertility

Randi Sylvest; Emily Koert; Julie Balslev; Michala Steenberg; Lone Schmidt; Søren Ziebe

doi:10.1016/j.rbmo.2024.103937

How to talk to young adults about fertility

Reprod Biomed Online. 2024 Mar 10;49(1):103937. doi: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2024.103937. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Randi Sylvest¹, Emily Koert², Julie Balslev², Michala Steenberg², Lone Schmidt², Søren Ziebe³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Gynecology, Fertility and Obstetrics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: Randi.lykke-sylvest@regionh.dk.
² Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
³ Department of Gynecology, Fertility and Obstetrics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.

PMID: 38744029
DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2024.103937

Abstract

Research question: How knowledgeable are Danish young adults about fertility and what are their attitudes towards learning about their reproductive biology?

Design: The study was conducted at different educational institutions with 11 focus-group discussions that included a total of 47 participants (aged 18-29 years). Qualitative content analysis was used. The participants' fertility knowledge score was measured using the Cardiff Fertility Knowledge Scale.

Results: The participants had an overall fertility knowledge score of 54%. Focus-group data showed that they thought it was important to learn about fertility and how to protect their fertility potential regardless of whether or not they wanted children. Providing knowledge is like planting a seed in the young adults. They wanted to hear about fertility in multifaceted ways and formats, and believed the information should be delivered by professionals, but developed in partnership with young people. The double-edged sword of knowledge and the consequence of knowledge made them hesitant or less open to learning.

Conclusions: Recommendations from this study are to tailor fertility information to young people, with due cognisance of their developmental stage, and ideally from an earlier age.

Keywords: Education; Fertility awareness; Fertility knowledge; Qualitative; Youth.