Smoking among French infertility specialists: habits, opinions and patients' management.
OBJECTIVE
The deleterious effects of tobacco on fertility are now largely demonstrated. Little is known, however, about how infertility doctors communicate on smoking and about their own smoking habits. In this study, we examined smoking habits among French infertility specialists and their attitudes towards infertile couples' exposure to tobacco.


METHODS
A postal survey was sent in 2009 to the 803 French certified physicians (gynaecologists, urologists, endocrinologists and embryologists) specializing in infertility. Demographical data, smoking habits and attitude towards patients' smoking were recorded. Statistical analysis and multiple correspondence analysis were performed in order to identify differences among physicians according to age, gender, occupation or smoking status.


RESULTS
Response rate was 42.3%. Half of the respondents were male, 41% were under 45 years, 37% were embryologists and 53.3% were gynaecologists. Thirteen percent reported current smoking. More than 80% always asked their patients about smoking status and cannabis consumption. Most physicians specifically informed infertile couples on tobacco, advised them to quit and proposed smoking cessation therapies. Only 24% refused care unless smoking cessation occurred. Statistical analysis showed some differences among subgroups according to gender, occupation or age. Surprisingly, results were comparable according to smoking status.


CONCLUSIONS
Most infertility specialists are aware of the deleterious effects of tobacco on fertility and ask their patients to quit. The heterogeneity in infertile patients' management, however, underlines the need for better professional and patients' information on smoking.
Service de Médecine de la Reproduction et Biologie du Développement, Hôpital Mère et Enfant, CHU de Nantes, Nantes, France. thomas.freour@chu-nantes.fr
Thomas
T
Freour
Lionel
L
Dessolle
Miguel
M
Jean
Paul
P
Barriere
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016079:Refusal to Treat / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology; D013038:Specialization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires