title: Fertility-awareness knowledge, attitudes and practices of women attending general practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most women who attend assisted reproductive technology (ART) clinics believe women should receive fertility-awareness education when they first report trouble conceiving. Interest in fertility awareness among women who attend general practice is largely unknown. We aimed to measure fertility-awareness knowledge, attitudes and practices of women attending general practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey of women attending three different general practices was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the respondents, 37.1% actively tried to improve their knowledge of fertility awareness, 9.8% were actively planning a pregnancy and 4.3% were using fertility awareness as contraception. Yet, only 2.1% of the overall sample correctly identified the fertile period of the menstrual cycle. Most respondents (92.2%) believed women should receive fertility-awareness education when they first report trouble conceiving.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One-third of women who attend general practice show interest in fertility awareness, but far fewer can correctly identify the fertile period of the menstrual cycle. All women who report using fertility awareness as contraception should be counselled on their actual knowledge and advised accordingly. Concordant with our previous study of women who experience infertility, most women who attend general practice believe that women should receive fertility-awareness education when they first report trouble conceiving. Further research is needed to determine how best to do this.
authors.forename: Kerry
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hampton
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mazza
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005193:Family Planning Services / Q000379:methods*; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000502:physiology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / Q000592:standards*; D055815:Young Adult