How Does Exposure to Digital Educational Content Affect Fertility Awareness (FA) and Attitudes Towards Fertility Preservation?

Einat Haikin Herzberger 1,2 Bei Sun 2 Offra Engel 1,2 Yael Wolf 2 Shai Herzberger 2,3 Reut Ben Kimhi 1,2 Netanella Miller 1,2 Amir Wiser 1,2 Anat Hershko-Klement 4
1IVF Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Meir Medical Center, Israel
2Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel
3Pediatrics Department, Meir Medical Center, Israel
4Hadassah Hospital, Mt. Scopus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Hebrew University Medical School, Israel

Research Question:
How does exposure to digital educational content affect fertility awareness and attitudes towards fertility preservation treatments?

Design:
Internet-based interventional cross-sectional study. A total of 957 women between ages 20 to 45 participated in the study. A questionnaire that assesses knowledge of reproductive span and attitudes towards fertility preservation treatment was completed by these women before and after exposure to online educational content on ovarian reserve and fertility preservation treatments. Answers to the questionnaire before and after exposure to the educational content were compared.

Results:
Knowledge about female age-related fertility decline improved significantly upon exposure to educational content (51.6% vs. 79.6%, p<0.001). An increased willingness to pursue fertility preservation treatments (38.6% vs. 42.9%, p<0.001) and to recommend fertility preservation treatments to friends (55% vs. 65.2%, p<0.001) have been observed. Participants that desire to conceive were more positively influenced by the exposure to educational content in their attitudes towards fertility treatments compared to participants that do not desire to conceive.

Conclusions:
Online educational content holds the potential to improve fertility awareness and shape a more positive attitude towards fertility preservation treatments for the public.