Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Primary and Long-term Care, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
BMC Womens Health. 2023 Jun 24;23(1):336. doi: 10.1186/s12905-023-02481-2.
With the increasing number of young women surviving cancer and a growing trend among highly educated women to postpone childbearing for educational or professional pursuits, there is a rising demand for egg freezing services to ensure a successful pregnancy. This study aims to assess the knowledge and beliefs surrounding oocyte cryopreservation, both for medical and social reasons, among female students in Tehran, Iran.
An online cross-sectional survey was carried out from March to August of 2022, involving a total of 1279 childless students pursuing master's and doctoral degrees at universities in Tehran. The participants were between the ages of 18 and 38. Knowledge and beliefs about medical and social oocyte cryopreservation were assessed through Fertility Preservation Survey (FPS) instrument.
The mean age of the participants was 26.38 ± 4.9. The majority of students expected to be "30-34 years" when they become pregnant with their first child (41.1%, M: 30.3 ± 4.13 years) and "35-39 years" when they give birth to their last child (46.7%, M: 35.28 ± 4.18 years). The students agreed with preserving fertility with medical (93.3%) and social (86.9%) indications and believed the medical (95.1%) and social (87.4%) costs of cryopreservation should be covered by the healthcare system. Among the participants, 75.6% considered cost to be a definite or probable factor in their decision to pursue fertility preservation. The oncology team's recommendation was identified as the most important factor in deciding on medical egg freezing (92.6%, M: 3.46 ± 0.71). The overall correct response rate for the knowledge questions was 57.7%. The majority of participants (95.5%) agreed that physicians should routinely provide information about egg freezing to women of childbearing age during their regular healthcare visits.
The research results revealed that female students in Tehran universities have a positive attitude towards medical and social egg freezing, but lack sufficient knowledge about the ideal timing of childbearing. Health professionals could provide detailed information about fertility preservation and age-related infertility as part of routine healthcare visits or reproductive health planning. Additionally, expanding supportive policies and incentives for childbearing established by the government to cover the costs of fertility preservation would be beneficial.
随着越来越多的年轻女性癌症幸存，以及高学历女性为了教育或职业追求而推迟生育的趋势不断增长，对卵子冷冻服务的需求也在不断增加，以确保成功怀孕。本研究旨在评估伊朗德黑兰女性学生对出于医疗和社会原因进行卵母细胞冷冻保存的知识和信念。
2022 年 3 月至 8 月期间，采用在线横断面调查方法，共纳入德黑兰大学攻读硕士和博士学位的 1279 名无子女学生。参与者年龄在 18 至 38 岁之间。通过生育力保护调查（Fertility Preservation Survey，FPS）工具评估关于医疗和社会卵母细胞冷冻保存的知识和信念。
参与者的平均年龄为 26.38±4.9 岁。大多数学生期望在他们的第一个孩子时成为“30-34 岁”（41.1%，M：30.3±4.13 岁），在他们的最后一个孩子时成为“35-39 岁”（46.7%，M：35.28±4.18 岁）怀孕。学生们同意出于医疗（93.3%）和社会（86.9%）指征保留生育能力，并认为冷冻保存的医疗（95.1%）和社会（87.4%）费用应由医疗保健系统承担。在参与者中，75.6%认为费用是他们决定进行生育力保护的确定或可能因素。肿瘤团队的建议被认为是决定进行医疗卵子冷冻的最重要因素（92.6%，M：3.46±0.71）。知识问题的总体正确回答率为 57.7%。大多数参与者（95.5%）同意医生应在常规医疗就诊期间定期向育龄妇女提供有关卵子冷冻的信息。
研究结果表明，德黑兰大学的女学生对医疗和社会卵子冷冻持积极态度，但对理想生育年龄缺乏足够的了解。卫生专业人员可以在常规医疗就诊或生殖健康计划中提供有关生育力保护和与年龄相关的不孕的详细信息。此外，扩大政府为生育而建立的支持性政策和激励措施以支付生育力保护的费用将是有益的。
