Last update:
03-Jun-2020

OBJECTIVE Τo investigate the knowledge and perceptions of women about infertility and medically assisted reproduction and their correlation with demographic and socio-economic characteristics.

METHOD A cross-sectional study was conducted from August to October 2017 on a convenience sample of women of reproductive age who lived permanently in the Prefecture of Attica. Of 250 questionnaires distributed, 200 were completed (response rate 80%). A closed-ended questionnaire was used, based on relevant international and Greek surveys. For statistical analysis the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 25.0 was used.

RESULTS Of the women who completed the questionnaire, 49% belonged to the age group 35–43 years. Assisted reproductive technology (ART) had not been used by 77%; 68% reported that they were aware of medically assisted reproduction for over 10 years, and 29.3% estimated correctly the percentage of couples living with infertility. Regarding their perceptions of ART, 90.9% were in favor of the treatment of infertility by ART methods and 68% believed that the techniques of ART do not violate nature. Women aged over 35 years and those who had used ART in the past were aware of ART insurance coverage in Greece (p≤0.05). The more liberal women viewed the accessibility of unmarried women to ART techniques more positively (p=0.001) and believed that ART techniques do not violate nature (p=0.001). Women without children were more positive about a third-party reproduction option (p=0.006).

CONCLUSIONS The women in the study had a positive attitude towards ART for reasons of health, rather than eugenics. They accepted that ART is a scientific achievement, but remain cautious about its implications. The Primary Health Care system could help create a social network of protection through local citizen information programs provided by specially trained staff.

Key words: Infertility, In vitro fertilization, Medically assisted reproduction, Perceptions.