Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 12, 2025
08:46
Fertility Preservation Through Oocyte Vitrification: Clinical and Laboratory Perspectives
Published on: September 16, 2021
6.1K
Preference-Aligned Fertility Management as a Person-Centered Alternative to Contraceptive Use-Focused Measures.
Kelsey Holt1, Christine Galavotti2, Elizabeth Omoluabi3
1Department of Family and Community Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94110, USA.
Studies in Family Planning
|February 1, 2023
Summary
Contraceptive use alone doesn't measure success; preference-aligned fertility management (PFM) better reflects individual reproductive autonomy and needs. PFM ensures services align with personal choices and circumstances.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Global Health
- Sociology
Background:
- Current metrics for contraceptive services, such as contraceptive use and unmet need, are insufficient.
- These metrics fail to consider individual autonomy and the reasons behind contraceptive choices or non-use.
- Programmatic success is often wrongly equated with contraceptive use, ignoring personal desires and constraints.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and define Preference-Aligned Fertility Management (PFM) as a more holistic and person-centered indicator for reproductive health programming.
- To advocate for a rights-based approach that respects individual decision-making in fertility management.
- To propose PFM as a superior alternative to existing measures like unmet need and demand satisfied.
Main Methods:
- Conceptualizing PFM as an alternative framework for evaluating reproductive health services.
- Critiquing current metrics for their limitations in capturing individual preferences and autonomy.
- Outlining plans to measure PFM within the Innovations for Choice and Autonomy (ICAN) study in Nigeria and Uganda.
Main Results:
- Equating contraceptive use with programmatic success is flawed, as non-use can signify empowered decision-making.
- Contraceptive use may sometimes result from an inability to refuse or discontinue a method.
- PFM offers a more accurate measure of whether contraceptive needs are met, aligning with stated preferences.
Conclusions:
- A rights-based approach to fertility management respects individual freedom to choose contraceptive methods based on personal, social, and material constraints.
- PFM provides a more informative and person-centered indicator than traditional measures, focusing on alignment with individual preferences.
- Implementing and measuring PFM can lead to more effective and ethical reproductive health programming.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Birth Control Methods
944
Vasectomy is a surgical form of male sterilization that involves severing and sealing the vasa deferentia, preventing sperm from mixing with semen during ejaculation. Because a vasectomy does not impact the testes' ability to produce testosterone, hormone levels, libido, and sexual function generally remain unchanged. While vasectomy is highly effective in preventing pregnancy, with a success rate near 99.85%, rare cases of recanalization (spontaneous reconnection) can occur. Although...
944
01:28Infertility in Females
369
Female infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after a year of regular, unprotected intercourse and affects about 10–15% of couples worldwide. The primary cause of female infertility is ovulatory disorders, which hinder the release of eggs. These disorders can be classified as hypothalamic amenorrhea, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), premature ovarian failure, and hyperprolactinemic anovulation disorders.
Endometriosis, a condition characterized by abnormal growth of...
Endometriosis, a condition characterized by abnormal growth of...
369
01:23Infertility in Males
311
Male infertility affects millions of couples worldwide, arising from various factors that impact different stages of the reproductive process. An endocrine imbalance resulting from conditions like hypogonadism, Klinefelter syndrome, or pituitary disorders can disrupt hormone levels and reduce sperm production. Testicular defects, such as tumors, cryptorchidism, atrophic testes, abnormal sperm morphology, and low sperm count or motility, may arise due to genetic factors, structural...
311
01:52Regression Toward the Mean
6.3K
Regression toward the mean (“RTM”) is a phenomenon in which extremely high or low values—for example, and individual’s blood pressure at a particular moment—appear closer to a group’s average upon remeasuring. Although this statistical peculiarity is the result of random error and chance, it has been problematic across various medical, scientific, financial and psychological applications. In particular, RTM, if not taken into account, can interfere when...
6.3K
01:06Natural Selection and Mating Preferences
148
The principle of natural selection posits that organisms better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. This principle is closely intertwined with mating preferences, a key aspect of sexual selection, which evolutionary psychologists believe is driven by instincts to propagate one's genes. Such instincts significantly influence mating behaviors and preferences between genders.
Females, due to their biological roles in conception, pregnancy, and nursing,...
Females, due to their biological roles in conception, pregnancy, and nursing,...
148
01:24In Vitro Fertilization
350
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a form of assisted reproductive technology where an egg is fertilized with sperm in a controlled laboratory environment before transferring the resulting embryo into the uterus. This process is designed to help individuals and couples experiencing difficulties conceiving.
The IVF process begins with ovarian stimulation, during which reproductive endocrinologists prescribe hormonal medications to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs instead of the single...
The IVF process begins with ovarian stimulation, during which reproductive endocrinologists prescribe hormonal medications to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs instead of the single...
350