Non-Compliance of Fertility Patients with the Ejaculatory Abstinence Period: The Influence of Confusing Online Fertility Information

Abstract

Background: Findings from a Western Australian fertility clinic show that male patients may often disregard ejaculatory abstinence directives prior to providing a semen sample. This practise may lead to the production of low quality spermatozoa. Aim: This study explores the readability and accessibility of online patient information from fertility clinics across Australia as a reason why patients may not adhere to instructions surrounding this behaviour. Method: A content analysis was conducted of patient information from the websites of 86 registered fertility clinics in Australia. The reading complexity of information found on these websites was determined through calculating the Flesch Reading Ease Scores and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Levels of excerpts retrieved. The presence and diversity of information provided in multilingual formats was recorded. Online instructions regarding ejaculatory abstinence were also compared within and between clinics to identify contradictory information. Results: The mean Flesch Reading Ease Score across all websites was 47.54 (s.d. 8.18) and the mean Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level was 11.09 (s.d. 1.11), indicating that the information presented exceeds the average Australian’s reading abilities. Information was also rarely presented in languages other than English (1/36 clinic websites, 2.8%) and ejaculatory abstinence recommendations were frequently contradictory (11/24 clinic websites, 45.8%). Conclusion: The provision of confusing and inaccessible online fertility information by fertility clinics to patients may represent a potential barrier to ejaculatory abstinence adherence. It is recommended that fertility clinics revise their online information to ensure readability.