Tomlinson Ana F, Chapalamadugu Meghana, Hombal Aishwarya, Rodriguez Suset, Patrizio Pasquale
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
J Assist Reprod Genet. 2025 Aug 14. doi: 10.1007/s10815-025-03625-z.
PURPOSE: This study aims to characterize assisted reproductive technology patients' online discussions of fertility supplements to better understand how this audience uses supplements, their attitudes toward perceived effects of the supplement, and the topics patients sought advice on regarding supplements. METHODS: This study used mixed methods, sequential exploratory design. We extracted public posts from the Reddit forum, "r/IVF." Posts about fertility supplements were categorized by the described use of supplements and perceived effect of the supplement. Posts in each qualitative category were then quantified, and post author characteristics were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Three hundred sixty-nine posts were included in the analysis. Two hundred nine posts identified specific supplements, and the most frequently mentioned included ubiquinone, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, dehydroepiandrosterone, and myo-inositol. Two hundred seventy-nine authors reported taking supplements; 9.3% reported a positive perceived effect, 12.9% reported a negative perceived effect, and 21.1% asked for advice regarding their supplements. In the remaining 90 posts, 10% of authors expressed concerns and 90% expressed interest in taking supplements. One hundred ninety-seven posts included the indication for using assisted reproductive technology, the most common being diminished ovarian reserve or male factor infertility. CONCLUSION: Many patients are using supplements with the goal of increasing their chance of assisted reproductive technology success and are seeking guidance on their use online. Some frequently mentioned supplements have limited research and unknown efficacy. The extensive discourse about supplements observed in this study reflects a need for increased guidance and evidence-based medical advice on how patients may use supplements safely and appropriately.
目的:本研究旨在描述辅助生殖技术患者在网上对生育补充剂的讨论,以便更好地了解该群体如何使用补充剂、他们对补充剂感知效果的态度,以及患者在补充剂方面寻求建议的话题。 方法:本研究采用混合方法,即顺序探索性设计。我们从Reddit论坛“r/IVF”中提取公开帖子。关于生育补充剂的帖子根据所描述的补充剂用途和补充剂的感知效果进行分类。然后对每个定性类别的帖子进行量化,并使用描述性统计分析帖子作者的特征。 结果:369篇帖子纳入分析。209篇帖子确定了特定的补充剂,最常提到的包括辅酶Q10、维生素D、ω-3脂肪酸、脱氢表雄酮和肌醇。279名作者报告服用了补充剂;9.3%报告有积极的感知效果,12.9%报告有消极的感知效果,21.1%就其补充剂寻求建议。在其余90篇帖子中,10%的作者表达了担忧,90%的作者表达了服用补充剂的兴趣。197篇帖子包含了使用辅助生殖技术的指征,最常见的是卵巢储备功能减退或男性因素不孕。 结论:许多患者使用补充剂的目的是增加辅助生殖技术成功的机会,并在网上寻求使用方面的指导。一些经常提到的补充剂研究有限且疗效未知。本研究中观察到的关于补充剂的广泛讨论反映出需要增加关于患者如何安全、适当地使用补充剂的指导和循证医学建议。
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