Fertility and aging: do reproductive-aged Canadian women know what they need to know?
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.
Bretherick
Karla L
KL
Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 1L3, Canada. kbretherick@bcgsc.ca
Fairbrother
Nichole
N
Avila
Luana
L
Harbord
Sara H A
SH
Robinson
Wendy P
WP
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