Assessing Osteopathic Medical Students' Knowledge, Attitude, and Perspective on the Use of Assisted Reproductive...

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Medical Education
• Public Health

Background:

• Medical students often delay childbearing due to rigorous training, increasing fertility challenges.
• Awareness of delayed childbearing and reliance on assisted reproductive technologies (ART) is present, but ART success rates decline with age.
• Comprehensive understanding of ART is crucial for medical students to make informed family planning decisions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate medical students' knowledge of assisted reproductive technologies (ART).
• To assess medical students' attitudes toward the use of ART.
• To identify gaps in understanding regarding fertility and ART for informed reproductive decision-making.

Main Methods:

• A survey research design was employed using a custom-designed questionnaire.
• The survey assessed demographic characteristics, knowledge of fertility and ART, and attitudes toward ART.
• Data were collected electronically and analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, chi-squared tests, and thematic analysis.

Main Results:

• Participants demonstrated strong knowledge of ART's impact on fertility but had average understanding of birth control and male age effects.
• Knowledge regarding financial aspects, health risks, and long-term outcomes of ART was comparatively lower.
• Attitudes toward ART were generally favorable, with support for egg/sperm donation and IVF for diverse populations, but concerns about funding and surrogacy.

Conclusions:

• Medical students exhibit limited knowledge of ART, particularly concerning financial and long-term implications.
• There is a need to integrate fertility and ART education earlier into medical school curricula.
• Enhanced education will better equip future physicians to make informed reproductive decisions.