Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice of Infertile Couples About Assisted Reproductive Technology, 2020: A Cross-Sectional Study
Abstract
Abstract
Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) has referred to infertility as a worldwide reproductive health problem that threatens the mental health of infertile couples and can lead to disorders such as stress, depression, isolation, and guilt.
Objectives: This study aimed to determine infertile couples’ knowledge, attitudes, and behavior regarding assisted reproductive technology in 2020.
Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on 331 infertile persons referred to Al-Zahra Infertility Center in Shahrekord, Iran, in 2020. Sampling was done by convenience sampling method. Data were collected by a self-administered questionnaire consisting of four parts. The first consisted of 17 demographic questions, the second consisted of 20 questions, the third consisted of 23 questions, and the fourth consisted of 9 questions. The data were analyzed by SPSS software. A P-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: In this study, 331 infertile persons referred to the infertility clinic of AL-Zahra were studied. The mean awareness of infertile couples was 14.26 (moderate knowledge level), and their mean attitude was 57.01 (negative attitude). Comparison of study participants’ knowledge with gender, address, ethnicity, language, education, the duration of infertility, causes of infertility, female factor, age, and years since marriage was significant (P < 0.05). Comparison of attitudes of study participants with gender, address, education, job, and the duration of infertility and causes of Infertility was significant (P < 0.05). The relationship between the knowledge of study participants and the duration of infertility, cause of infertility, knowledge of (IUI, IVF, ICSI, ZIFT, replaced uterus, donated ovum, sperm donation, and the donating embryo) and attitude towards (IUI IVF replaced uterus donated ovum) was significant (P < 0.05). The relationship between the attitude of
study participants and the duration of infertility, knowledge of (IUI, replaced uterus and donated ovum), and attitude of (IUI IVF replaced uterus donated ovum) was significant (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: The results of this study indicated that the higher the level of awareness was, the more negative the attitude toward assisted reproductive technology became. In addition, in people who used more pharmacological methods to treat infertility, the rate of using the new assisted reproductive method was less than the pharmacological methods. Therefore, it is recommended that health system policymakers and guardians improve childbearing status in the country by establishing counseling classes and heightening people’s awareness of new methods of assisted reproduction to address misconceptions about these methods.
1. Berek JS. Berek & Novak’s Gynecology Essentials. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2020.
2. Jafari H, Taghipour A, Latifnejad R. [The Association of sociodemographic characteristics of infertile men and women with their attitude towards donation procedures]. J Torbat Heydariyeh Univ Med Sci. 2019;7(3):65-76. Persian.
3. Heshmati Far N, Rabie Nasab L, Mozafari Join A, Velayati M. [Jurisprudential Investigation on the Confidentiality of Embryo Donation]. Iranian Journal of Medical Ethics and History of Medicine. 2019;12:450-62. Persian.
4. Moradi M, Piri M, Aghaei N, Ghenaat Z, Khousheh Chin Z. [The Attitudes of Infertile Women towards Surrogacy in Kerman, 2014]. Health Dev J. 2017;6(1):30-9. Persian.
5. Osian EA, Afemikhe JA, Olorunfemi O, Eweka A. Knowledge and perception of assisted reproductive technology among women attending the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria, 2018. J Nurs Midwifery Sci. 2019;6(3):125. https://doi.org/10.4103/jnms.jnms_15_19.
6. Jafari H, Latifnejad Roudsari R, Taghipour A, Khadem Ghaebi N, Ebrahimzadeh S. [Comparison of knowledge and attitude towards reproductive donation procedures between recipient and non-recipient infertile couples at Mashhad Infertility Center]. JTorbat Heydariyeh Univ Med Sci. 2015;3(2):25-16. Persian.
7. Roudsari RL, Allan HT, Smith PA. Looking at infertility through the lens of religion and spirituality: a review of the literature. Hum Fertil (Camb). 2007;10(3):141-9. [PubMed:17786646]. https://doi.org/10.1080/14647270601182677.
8. Mahmoodian H, Saboorian N, Nabeiei P. [Attitudes of Infertile Women towards Surrogacy in Infertility Clinics of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences]. Sadra Med J. 2017;5(3):131-40. Persian.
9. Mohamed SM, Younes EM, El-Deen HA, Abd-Elaliem AA. Assessment of Knowledge and Attitude of Infertile Couples About Assisted Reproductive Technology. Assiut Sci Nurs J. 2017;5(12):126-35. https://doi.org/10.21608/asnj.2017.60624.
10. Latifnejad Roudsari R, Jafari H, Taghipour A. The relationship of sociocultural beliefs and infertile couples’ attitude toward reproductive donation: A descriptive-correlational study. Int JReprod Biomed. 2019;17(5):315-24. [PubMed:31435614]. [PubMedCentral:PMC6653494]. https://doi.org/10.18502/ijrm.v17i5.4599.
11. Bagheri Lankarani N. [Attitudes of infertile couples to sperm donation: the role of religious beliefs]. J Fam Res. 2016;12(2):215-36.Persian.
12. Adamson GD, de Mouzon J, Chambers GM, Zegers-Hochschild F, Mansour R, Ishihara O, et al. International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technology: world report on assisted reproductive technology, 2011. Fertil Steril. 2018;110(6):1067-80. [PubMed:30396551]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. fertnstert.2018.06.039.
13. Nwotite A. Examining the legal status of assisted reproductive technology in Nigeria. International Review of Law and Jurisprudence. 2020;2(2):93-101.
14. Zegers-Hochschild F, Schwarze JE, Alam V. Infertility. In: Heggenhougen HK, editor. International Encyclopedia of Public Health. New York: Academic Press; 2008. p. 576-87.
15. Khodakarami N, Hashemi S, Seddigh S, Hamdiyeh M, Taheripanah R. [Life Experience with Infertility; a Phenomenological Study]. J Reprod Infertil. 2010;10(4):287-98. Persian.
16. Fereydouni S, Fereydouni B, Solimani H. [Attitude of Male and Female Subjects towards Oocyte Donation in Shiraz]. J Reprod Infertil. 2009;10(1):51-8. Persian.
17. Saraian E, Sajjadian I. [Comparison of Perceived Social Support and Psychological Well-being between Pregnant Women with Surrogacy, Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and Natural Fertility]. Iranian Journal of Psychiatric Nursing. 2016;4(2):1-10. Persian. https://doi.org/10.21859/ijpn-04021.
18. Abolfotouh MA, Alabdrabalnabi AA, Albacker RB, Al-Jughaiman UA, Hassan SN. Knowledge, attitude, and practices of infertility among Saudi couples. Int J Gen Med. 2013;6:563-73. [PubMed:23874117]. [PubMed-Central:PMC3711755]. https://doi. org/10.2147/IJGM.S46884.
19. Pourmasumi S, Mostaghaci M, Sabeti P, Ardian N. Knowledge of Infertile Couples about Assisted Reproductive Technology in Iran. Womens Health Gynecol. 2016;2(3):24.
20. Shakiba F, Azkhosh M, Dolatshahee B, Younesi J, Eftekhar M. [The Relationship between Attitudes toward Modern Assisted Reproductive Technique and Demographic Characteristics of Infertile Cases]. The Iranian Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Infertility. 2013;16(58):16-23. Persian. https://doi.org/10.22038/ ijogi.2013.1471.
21. Kashani L, Hassanzadeh E, Mirzabeighi A, Akhondzadeh S. Knowledge, attitude and practice of herbal remedies in a group of infertile couples. Acta Med Iran. 2013;51(3):189-94. [PubMed:23605605].
22. Szalma I, Bito T. Knowledge and attitudes about assisted reproductive technology: Findings from a Hungarian online survey. Reprod Biomed Soc Online. 2021;13:75-84. [PubMed:34381884]. [PubMedCentral:PMC8340049]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbms.2021.06.005.
Files | ||
Issue | Vol 6, No 4 (2022) | |
Section | Articles | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/htaa.v6i4.12817 | |
Keywords | ||
Knowledge Attitude Practice Assisted Reproductive Technique Infertility |
Rights and permissions | |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |