Fertility awareness in women attending a fertility clinic
Blake, D.; Smith, D.; Bargiacchi, A.; France, M.; Gudex, G.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 37(3): 350-352
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0004-8666 PMID: 9325525 DOI: 10.1111/j.1479-828x.1997.tb02429.xDocument Number: 272003
Fertility awareness was assessed in a survey of 80 women presenting over a 3-month period to a tertiary referral unit at the National Women's Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand, for infertility investigation. It was hypothesized that less than 50% of menstruating women with a history of at least 2 years of infertility have an adequate understanding about the fertile time of their menstrual cycle. 60% of women had been trying to conceive for 2-3 years, 23% for 4-5 years, and 17% for more than 6 years. For 58% of clients, this was their first visit to a fertility clinic. 13% had attended a natural family planning (NFP) clinic previously. On the basis of questionnaire responses, participants were graded from 0 to 2 in each of the following 3 categories: 1) level of fertility symptom awareness (cervical mucus and ovulatory pain), 2) level of understanding of what these symptoms mean, and 3) level of use of this information to enhance conception. Only 21 women (26%) had a final score of 4 or greater--a predetermined cut-off considered indicative of adequate fertility awareness. The largest percentage of women (46%) had scores of 0-1. 80% of women with previous NFP instruction had adequate fertility awareness scores. These finding supported the study hypothesis of a generally poor level of fertility awareness among women presenting for treatment of infertility. Greater utilization of NFP clinics by general practitioners and specialists, as well as incorporation of NFP trained nurses into tertiary referral clinics, are recommended.