title: Fertility and aging: do reproductive-aged Canadian women know what they need to know?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Female fertility declines with age; however, women are increasingly delaying childbearing until later in their reproductive years. One of the factors that may contribute to this trend is a general lack of knowledge about the decline in fertility with age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-report survey. Questions pertained to participant demographics and childbearing intentions, and knowledge of the decline in fertility and increased risk of pregnancy loss with age.
  
  
  METHODS
  The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  Female undergraduate students (N = 360).
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Knowledge of fertility over the life span, predictors of age of intended childbearing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although most women were aware that fertility declines with age, they significantly overestimated the chance of pregnancy at all ages and were not conscious of the steep rate of fertility decline. Surprisingly, women overestimated the chance of pregnancy loss at all ages, but did not generally identify a woman's age as the strongest risk factor for miscarriage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Education regarding the rate at which reproductive capacity declines with age is necessary to avoid unintended childlessness among female academics and professionals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 1L3, Canada. kbretherick@bcgsc.ca
authors.forename: Karla L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Bretherick
authors.forename: Nichole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fairbrother
authors.forename: Luana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Avila
authors.forename: Sara H A
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Harbord
authors.forename: Wendy P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000523:psychology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002170:Canada; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000502:physiology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016387:Women's Health; D055815:Young Adult