Knowledge of fertility decline in women via natural pregnancy and Assisted Reproductive Technologies

Female fertility declines with age. University students are the group of people most likely to postpone parenthood, yet several international studies have shown that they overestimate their fertility. We designed a questionnaire based on a previous study where University students were asked to answer questions related to their awareness of fertility decline in spontaneous and IVF pregnancies, and methods they considered would prolong their reproductive lifespan. Our study has shown that University students overestimated the rates of pregnancy for both spontaneous natural and IVF pregnancies. Students are mainly aware of the availability of Assisted Reproductive Technologies, however overestimate their effectiveness. Few students mentioned non-medical or well-being initiatives as measures to prolong parenthood. It is important University students are aware of the rate of fertility decline in women, as although Assisted Reproductive Technologies can be effective at times, they are not a guaranteed solution to an aging woman’s fertility. University students, like other cohorts, demonstrated an overestimation regarding the chances of a female’s pregnancy and predicted the fertility decline to occur much later than it does in reality.