Fertility Awareness Research Articles

Oh Baby! A Content Analysis of Contraception Pins on Pinterest.

Social media platforms have become a popular source for health information despite concerns about the quality of content shared. We examined how oral contraceptive pills and intrauterine devices are framed on the platform Pinterest using the Health Belief Model (HBM), as well as how fertility awareness methods are portrayed as an alternative to hormonal contraception. We collected pins in February 2021 using searches for birth control, oral contraceptives, and intrauterine devices. After excluding paid ads and pins not relevant to contraceptive use, we conducted a content analysis of 404 pins using a coding framework grounded in the HBM. We carried out descriptive statistics for all variables in the final sample. Following coding, we found that 54.7% of pins mentioned oral contraceptive pills, 41.58% mentioned intrauterine devices, and 11.63% mentioned fertility awareness methods. Fertility awareness pins had the highest percentage of benefits conveyed (70.21%), followed by intrauterine devices (44.05%), then oral contraceptive pills (38.91%). Pill pins had the highest percentage of barriers conveyed (52.94%) and fertility awareness had the least (25.53%). Side effects were the most mentioned barrier among pill (37.10%) and intrauterine device pins (23.21%). Very few pins were made by (2.48%) or originated with medical institutions (5.45%). Oral contraceptive pills are often negatively framed on Pinterest, whereas intrauterine devices and fertility awareness methods are more positively framed. This suggests a need for clear communication from clinicians regarding all contraceptive options and their relative merits and risks.

The impact of stigma on mental health and quality of life of infertile women: A systematic review.

The stigma of not giving birth to children affects approximately 53. 08~64% of female infertility patients worldwide. This stigma not only causes harm to the mental health of these infertility patients, but also affects their quality of life, making them bear the adverse social consequences such as domestic violence, marriage breakdown, or even delay in receiving the treatment. Therefore, it is crucial to have a deep understanding of the patients' stigma and effective intervention in alleviating it. This study aims to discuss and summarize the stigma in infertile women and its impact on patients, and to provide a theoretical basis for the clinical treatment and nursing intervention of disease stigma in infertile female patients. The literature search used four English databases (Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science, and PubMed) and two Chinese databases (CNKI and Wanfang). The search time of the literature ranges from the establishment of the library to 2022, with no language restriction. The review included 28 studies, with 20 cross-sectional studies and 8 qualitative studies. This study found that social support, living environment, education level, occupation, and fertility awareness were the major influencing factors of infertility stigma. Infertility stigma can bring heavy mental pressure and psychological burden to female infertility patients and affect their quality of life. Therefore, effective and targeted psychological interventions should be developed to reduce the patients' stigma and improve their quality of life. Healthcare workers must develop targeted nursing interventions, provide professional counseling services to reduce the level of stigma in female infertility patients, alleviate fertility stress, and improve their quality of life.

Young men’s perceptions and attitudes towards two fertility awareness interventions and preferences for future initiatives

This study explored young Danish men’s perceptions and attitudes towards two fertility awareness (FA) interventions (a podcast episode and an informational poster) and their preferences for how fertility awareness and prevention efforts should be targeted and communicated to young men in the future. Focus groups were held with 13 young men who were between the ages of 25–35 and in a committed relationship over Zoom in January 2021. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Young men preferred FA interventions to be factual as in the informational poster and to include personal stories that could serve as conversation starters as in the podcast. According to the young men, FA interventions should communicate using positive language and humour and not be negative or shaming. They preferred intervention formats like TV-programmes, podcasts, and social media. The participants also suggested fertility information should be included in sexual education in high school and vocational education. This research suggests that future FA campaigns should be developed in cooperation with the target group together with clinicians, and concurrent studies using different intervention formats should be performed. In all probability, a mix of different interventions is necessary to attain the desired effect to ensure long-lasting fertility awareness.

Correction to: P-497 Men’s attitude towards two fertility education interventions and preferences for future fertility awareness initiatives

Correction to: P-497 Men’s attitude towards two fertility education interventions and preferences for future fertility awareness initiatives

Exploring fertility knowledge amongst healthcare professional and lay population groups in the UK: a mixed methods study

As the average age of first-time parents continues to rise, there has been a concerted effort by educators, policy makers and several reproductive health groups to improve fertility awareness. This study explored fertility knowledge of lay men and women and healthcare professionals (HCPs) using the same test instrument, providing a new and unique perspective compared with previous studies. Results were obtained from 1082 survey respondents: 347 HCPs, 319 men and 413 women, 105 of whom were trying to conceive (TTC). A total of 35 interviewees were purposively sampled to include 9 HCPs, 13 men and 13 women from the reproductive age range and of varying ethnic and educational backgrounds. Interview data were transcribed and analysed using the framework method. The proportion of HCPs correctly answering the survey knowledge questions was 47.1 (95% CI = 41.7%, 52.5%) compared to 44.4% for women (95% CI = 38.9%, 50.1%); 49.9% (95% CI = 39.0, 59.9%) for women TTC; and 32.5% (95% CI = 27.1%, 37.9%) for men. HCPs were ranked as the most trusted source for seeking fertility information. Overall HCPs did not demonstrate better fertility knowledge than lay participants, with inconsistencies regarding where responsibility lies for providing the right information to patients. HCPs need to improve their knowledge about fertility to help improve patient’s fertility awareness.

Nurses and midwives’ experience in providing fertility awareness-based methods, including natural family planning methods in Rwanda

Access to effective and acceptable family planning services in developing countries is an essential reproductive health intervention to reduce maternal deaths and prevent unwanted pregnancies. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to gain an in-depth understanding of nurses' and midwives' experiences in providing information related to fertility awareness-based methods, including natural family planning, to clients in Rwanda. Face-to-face individual interviews were conducted with ten nurses and midwives who provide family planning services at six health centers in the Kicukiro district in Rwanda. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim into Kinyarwanda and then translated into English. Inductive content analysis was used for data analysis. Three themes were identified: 1) Fertility Awareness-Based Methods, including Natural Family Planning Method Facilitators and Barriers, 2) Advantages of Fertility Awareness-Based Methods, including Natural Family Planning Methods; and 3) Nurses' and Midwives' Attitude and Teaching of Fertility Awareness-Based Methods, including Natural Family Planning Methods. Study findings suggest that limited pre-service education and lack of in-service training about family planning contributes to nurses' and midwives' limited knowledge of Fertility Awareness-Based Methods, including Natural Family Planning Methods, and impacts their attitudes and skill level toward counselling clients. Nursing and midwifery schools need to improve how they teach Fertility Awareness-Based Methods, including Natural Family Planning, and health centers need to provide ongoing extensive in-service education to healthcare providers. There is a need to increase content related to family planning in nursing and midwifery education. These findings may also pertain to other developing countries like Rwanda and guide a positive change in family planning education for healthcare providers and FP services delivery.

Awareness and attitude of medical sciences students and related factors towards fertility: A narrative review

Fertility, a fundamental physiological process for individuals and society, can be regarded as a prerequisite for any social-economic development. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the awareness and attitude of medical sciences students and related factors towards fertility. The current narrative review study was conducted based on the search of the PubMed, Scopus, Scientific Information Database, and Magiran and Google Scholar search engine within the time frame of 2000 to 2022, according to title, abstract, and keywords, using advanced search strategies and appropriate operators. The keywords for article extraction include reproductive, child-having, fertility, and childbearing. The inclusion criteria were full-text articles in Persian and English. The exclusion criteria were lack of access to the full text of the article, review articles and qualitative studies. After searching the databases, 788 studies were found, and after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria and removing duplicates, 27 articles were included in the study. The results showed a positive attitude of students towards parenthood and childbearing. Women were more concerned than men about having a child while studying and its impact on their job market position. Half of the women intended to become pregnant after the age of 35. Most students had little knowledge about the decrease in fertility with increasing age, but women were more aware of the effect of age on fertility than men. The importance of parenthood was higher among non-medical students, especially younger ones. In sum, based on the findings, considering the low level of student's knowledge about the appropriate age and time for fertility in the menstrual cycle and the success rate of assisted reproductive techniques, it is necessary to take a step toward increasing students' fertility awareness by holding educational workshops and creating educational websites.

Infertility Due to Low Ovarian Reserve – Treated by Matra basti-A Case Report

ABSTRACT Reduction in quantity and quality of oocytes due to poor ovarian reserve is an important cause of infertility in many couples of reproductive age groups. Evaluating ovarian reserve and individualizing the therapeutic strategies are very important for optimizing the success rate. A 35-year-old female presented with difficulty in conception for 4 years. She was diagnosed with primary infertility due to a low anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) level in a modern hospital. She was given assisted reproductive treatments at various hospitals and was not successful. Hence, the patient approached our outpatient department during the year 2021 for the management. A course of Matra basti (unctuous enema) was administered along with fertility awareness information without any oral medication. After the completion of treatment, the patient conceived naturally within the duration of 3 months. Low values of AMH are observed in low ovarian reserve causing infertility. Matra basti was found to be a beneficial procedure to treat infertility occurring due to low ovarian reserve in reproductive-aged women with no complications.

Evaluation of a fertility awareness-based shared decision-making tool part 1: Study design and impact on clinician knowledge.

To assess the impact of a Shared Decision-Making (SDM) tool for fertility awareness-based methods (FABMs) of family planning. Clinicians familiar with at least one FABM were randomly invited to participate in a prospective cross-over study to compare usual practice to the use of the SDM tool when discussing FABMs with patients. Patients completed surveys pre- and post-office visit and six months later. The primary outcome explored the effect of online education on use of the SDM tool on clinicians' knowledge of FABMs. Of 278 clinicians contacted, 54% could not be reached, and 15% did not provide women's health services. The 26 clinicians enrolled were experienced, with more than half recommending FABMs for ≥10 years, and 73% recommending more than one FABM to patients. Knowledge scores significantly improved after online training and use of the SDM tool (baseline mean score = 9.54 (scale of 0-12); post-training mean score = 10.73, p < 0.002). Education about FABMs and training on use of the SDM tool improved knowledge scores even among an experienced cohort of clinicians. The novel SDM tool can better equip clinicians to meet the rising patient interest in FABMs.

Infertility: A Hidden Cost of Medical Training.

Infertility: A Hidden Cost of Medical Training.

Fertility Awareness Based Methods

Fertility Awareness Based Methods Abstract. The so called natural family planning methods are based on the prospective detection of the few fertile days (fertile window) during the menstrual cycle. The existence of such a fertile window was originally based on observation of the menstrual cycle which showed that that the lowest fertlity was at the beginning and in the seccond half of the cycle. On this observation the calendar method was based. Later other signs of ovulation were detected (temperature, cervical mucus and even later the LH peak) which allowed to better predict the fertile phase. It became evident that the contraceptive efficacy was dependent on the number of ovulation related variables and the continuity and regularity of the measurements (user adherence). The new data collecting technologies facilitate correct and regular data collection and may such offer new opportunities.

Pentingnya Memilih KB yang Tepat untuk Keluarga Sejahtera di Posyandu Edelweiss Wilayah Kerja Puskesmas Baloi Permai Batam Kota

The family planning (KB) program is one of the government programs organized to limit births to reduce population growth. The purpose of this community service is to improve the family planning program in an effort to regulate the birth of children, distance, and the ideal age of childbirth, regulate pregnancy, through promotion, protection and assistance in accordance with reproductive rights to create a quality and prosperous family. This community service method is carried out by conducting socialization, counseling, and health promotion to 26 couples of childbearing age at the Edelweiss Posyandu Working Area of the Baloi Permai Health Center, Batam City, Riau Islands. This counseling uses measuring instruments by taking data directly from respondents through filling out pre-test and post-test checklist sheets that have been distributed to participants. Various contraceptives were also explained to 26 couples of childbearing age, namely natural birth control, pills, injections and long-term birth control. This counseling was carried out at the Edelweiss Posyandu working area of the Baloi Permai Health Center, Batam City, Riau Islands, on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, which was attended by 26 couples of childbearing age by producing an increase in pus knowledge and insight. It can be concluded that the community at the Edelweiss Posyandu was enthusiastic by giving questions and did not die from the community service counseling site.

The use and impact of contraceptives in women: a critical review

&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;Around 40% of the 210 million human conceptions occurring globally each year are unplanned. Contraception involving the use of devices, medications, and sexual techniques have been the bail out. This has empowered women to make positive decisions about their life and sexual health. Various methods of contraception in use today include the barrier method, the fertility awareness method, hormonal method and permanent contraception. In the United States and in most parts of the world, oral contraceptives (OC) have been the most used contraceptive method. Their use however comes with its pros and cons. OC failure is already an issue of concern in the reproductive health of women. More serious concerns are the impact of the use of these OC's on the woman's quality of life. Women all over the world are becoming increasingly conscious of the ability of OC to either aid or interfere with their health and overall well being. There is paucity of data in recent times looking critically at how OC has been a factor in altering the quality of life of women. Hence this review highlights contraceptive preferences of women, Success and failures of OC use, perception of women towards OC and how the use of OC has impacted their quality of life. Overall, contraceptives have a positive impact on the quality of life of women due to many other benefits it offers apart from contraception including relief of menstrual blood loss, dys-menorrhea, and premenstrual syndrome.&lt;/p&gt;

A Pilot Qualitative Case Study of Women's Experiences with Fertility Awareness-Based Methods.

This pilot qualitative case study was able to elicit rich data enabling a description of how women went through the journey of achieving pregnancy using fertility awareness-based methods. Findings underscore that women preferred using natural ways to detect ovulation and would recommend other women to do so, but with healthcare providers' guidance. The findings of this case study can serve as a starting point to provide a framework to understand women's experiences of enduring trial and error with multiple fertility awareness-based methods before discovering their effective method. Findings emphasize the importance for healthcare providers to guide women in using fertility awareness-based methods.

Role of the First Childbirth and its Associated Factors on Sexual Satisfaction and the Quality of Sexual Life of Married Women

Background and aims: Sexual satisfaction (SS) and a desirable quality of sex life are known as prerequisites for the physical and mental health of individuals. This study was designed to evaluate the role of the first childbirth and its associated factors in life satisfaction and the quality of life of married women in Shahrekord. Methods: This self-control cohort study was conducted on 124 married women who were planning to have their first pregnancy from January 2018 to February 2019. The convenience sampling method was used to select the samples. The questionnaires utilized in this research included the Demographic Information Questionnaire, the Married Women’s Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire, and the Sexual Quality of Life-Female Questionnaire. The data were analyzed by independent t test, chi-square, and Pearson correlation coefficient using SPSS, version 22. Results: The mean scores of SS and the quality of sexual life before pregnancy and one year after delivery were 63.45±13.62 and 52.38±13.59, as well as, 88.40±14.19 and 71.08±13.29, respectively. In this study, there was a significant relationship (P±0.041) between changing the quality of sexual life and good economic status of individuals, as well as irregular menstrual status and contraceptive methods (natural birth control). Further, the relationship between residence and change in SS was significant so that people living in cities had the most change in SS compared to those living in rural areas (P±0.046). Conclusion: SS and its dimensions, including physical and psychological barriers, dominant cultural values, and husband-related factors, as well as the mean score of the quality of sex life one year after delivery, were lower than before pregnancy.

Fertility preferences and unmet need for family planning in women with multiple sclerosis.

Most women with multiple sclerosis (MS) have childbearing potential. Although fertility and pregnancy are not affected by MS, the fertility preferences of women with MS can change due to the risk of complications for the mother and/or adverse pregnancy outcomes resulting from the disease or its treatment. To describe fertility preferences (FPs) and their associated factors, to estimate the Unmet Need for Family Planning (UNFP), use of contraceptives, and history of exposure to disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) during pregnancy in women with MS. In a cross-sectional observational study, a random sample of women with MS were surveyed with the FP subset of the Demographic and Health Survey of Colombia. Factors associated with FP were evaluated through bivariate and logistic regression analysis. The proportion of pregnancies exposed to DMTs, UNFP, and use of contraceptives was estimated. Of the 141 women interviewed, 101 women had childbearing potential, of whom 49 did not want to have children, 38 were sterilized, 33 wanted to have more children, 19 were undecided, and 2 stated they were unable to bear children (menopause or hysterectomy). No MS-related variables were associated with the preference to have more children. Age (OR 0.91; 95% CI 0.84-0.98) and the number of children (OR 0.23; 95% CI 0.09-0.58) decreased the likelihood of desire for children. Of 116 sexually active women, 87.06 % (101) were using contraceptives, and among them, four were using fertility awareness methods and withdrawal. The UNFP was estimated at 6.03% and was not significantly different from the general population. Eighty-two pregnancies were identified, of which 48 occurred after diagnosis, and 25 were exposed to DMTs. Fertility preference in women with MS is not associated with clinical variables. A large proportion of women choose not to have children and prefer to use permanent contraceptive methods. Although the frequency of contraceptive use was high, some women have the UNFP and use low-efficacy contraceptive methods, which may result in unplanned pregnancies.

Faktor-Faktor yang Mempengaruhi PUS Memilih KB Alamiah di Desa Binturu, Kecamatan Larompong

Natural Contraception (KBA) is to regulate the distance of birth of children, regulate inspiration by not using tools, chemicals or drugs. The percentage of kb participants in Indonesia in 2016 was 33.72%, this figure is lower than the achievement in 2015 of 38.75%. In 2016 in South Sulawesi with a proportion of 71.71% were Couples of Childbearing Age who participated in birth control. Based on the participants of birth control the contraceptives used were Injectable (47.39%), Pills (22.90%) Implant (8.84%), MOW (1.04%), IUD ( 3.21%) Condoms (13.45%) and simple methods (0.28%). This study is to find out what factors affect PUS choosing natural birth control in Binturu Village, Larompong District in 2021.This study uses a quantitative approach with an observational type of research, with a sample of 35 people (Total Sampling)., analysis of univariate and bivariate data using the Chi-Square Test. The results showed that the factors related to the selection of contraceptive methods were Education ρ = 0.292 (ρ&gt;0.05), Knowledge ρ = 0.075 (ρ&gt;0.05), and husband support ρ = 0.267 (ρ&lt;0.05). The results of this study education and knowledge have no relationship with the selection of natural birth control contraceptive methods, and husband support has no relationship with the selection of natural birth control contraceptive methods, it is expected for couples of childbearing age Need increased knowledge about the types of contraceptives, benefits of contraception, side effects of using contraceptives and the consequences of not using contraceptives

What does family building mean? A qualitative exploration and a new definition: a UK-based study

BackgroundThe importance of improving men’s and women’s knowledge of sexual and reproductive health has been emphasised in numerous global health policies. Fertility awareness literature highlights a disproportionately higher number of articles related to pregnancy-prevention compared to pregnancy-planning, which is justifiable in many contexts. However, recent concerted effort to improve fertility-awareness warrants a closer investigation of basic reproductive health terminologies. The objective of this study is to explore participants’ views of “family building” and provide a definition.MethodsWe conducted 35 qualitative in-depth interviews on men, women and healthcare professionals who were sampled from a UK cross-sectional survey. We asked participants about terms such as ‘family planning’ and ‘family building’ to elicit views and explored the appropriateness of the term “family building.” Data were transcribed and analysed via Framework analysis.ResultsWhen asked what ‘family planning’ meant to them, study participants stated that the term meant the avoidance of pregnancy. They viewed it as an “umbrella term for the use of contraception methods,” that “paradoxically, the term family planning almost has a negative connotation regarding having a family,” but could not state similar terminology for planning a family. Reasons cited for this perspective include the focus of school education and usage in clinical settings.ConclusionsIn the absence of an explicit definition in literature, we generated a new definition for family building as follows: “Family building refers to the construction or formation of a family, which can include steps or actions taken by an individual towards having children. In contrast to family planning, the intent focuses on pregnancy planning and childbearing rather than pregnancy prevention. However, it can also include actions taken to space the number of children one has.” Some balance in the global public health messages, including bridging the gap in reproductive health literature, policies, processes and practices may contribute to the effort to improve fertility knowledge. Use of appropriate terminologies help optimise reproductive health services in order to enable men and women achieve their desired fertility intentions, whatever they may be.Trial registration Not applicable

Childbearing intentions, fertility awareness knowledge and contraceptive use among female university students in Cameroon.

ObjectivesThe primary objective of this study was to examine the association between fertility awareness knowledge, and contraceptive use among sexually active female university students (FUS) in Cameroon.MethodsThis study was designed as a secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional survey that was conducted between July and August 2018. We extracted and analyzed relevant data (i.e., socio-demographic characteristics, sexual behavior, fertility-related characteristics, and contraceptive use) using a modified Poisson regression with a robust variance estimator. Prevalence Ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals were estimated, and statistical significance was set at P≤0.05.ResultsThe median age of the sexually active FUS was 23 years (IQR = 21–25) and 99.3% indicated that they wanted to have children. Only 49.3% knew their fertile period and 62.5% of the sexually active FUS were current contraceptive users. We found a statistically significant association between fertility awareness knowledge and period abstinence (PR = 1.57;95%CI: 1.02–2.44, p = 0.049). In multivariate adjusted models, there was a statistically significant association between fertility awareness knowledge and male condom use (APR = 1.29; 95% CI:1.02–1.64, p-value = 0.032) and the withdrawal method (APR = 1.40;95% CI:1.02–1.93, p = 0.038). We found a statistically significant effect modification of “preferred timing to have children” on the association between fertility awareness knowledge and withdrawal method use. There was no association between fertility awareness knowledge and the use of oral contraceptive pills.ConclusionMost of the female students intend to have children in the future, but their fertility awareness knowledge was suboptimal. There was a statistically significant relationship between fertility awareness knowledge, and the use of male condoms and the withdrawal method. The study underscores the need for FUS to be targeted with interventions to help them gain knowledge of their menstrual cycle to better plan or avoid unwanted pregnancy.

Examining engaged couples’ opinions and attitudes towards fertility awareness, family planning and parenting in terms of gender

ABSTRACT Being a parent that is part of the social life of individuals and getting married should be evaluated together with fertility to improve the health of society. Because individuals who are unaware of fertility may tend to make wrong decisions about how to manage their reproductive abilities. This study was conducted to determine by gender difference the fertility awareness of engaged couples and their attitudes toward parenthood and family planning. This cross-sectional study included 504 people who had decided to marry. In this study, a male/female questionnaire developed by the researcher and the Family Planning Attitudes Scale were used. When the couples evaluated the importance of having children to them on a scale from 0 to 10, no statistically significant differences by gender could be found (p = .589). Among the criteria for having children, the rate of agreement with the condition of having sufficient economic strength was higher among women than men (p = .031). The rate of agreement with the conditions of reaching a certain level of expertise in one’s occupation (p = .014) and living in a big enough house (p = .040) was higher among men than women. The Family Planning Attitudes Scale total mean score was 112.5 for the male participants and 117.0 for the female participants (p = .004). The scale evaluates the family planning attitude as positive and negative. Higher scores indicate more positive attitudes toward family planning. It was determined that couples’ were at a similar level of fertility awareness and women had a more positive family planning attitude than men. There were differences by gender in couples’ views on parenting.