A “Fertility Awareness” Survey on Social Media: Men Can Do Better
Infertility affects 17% of the global population, yet fertility awareness remains low, particularly among younger individuals and men. This study assessed fertility awareness and attitudes toward infertility prevention among French adults of childbearing age, focusing on gender differences. Conducte...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2025-05-01
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| Series: | American Journal of Men's Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/15579883251325513 |
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| author | Hubert Bettinger Marie Carbonnel Alexandre Vallée Catherine Racowsky Henri-Corto Stoekle Jean-Marc Ayoubi |
| author_facet | Hubert Bettinger Marie Carbonnel Alexandre Vallée Catherine Racowsky Henri-Corto Stoekle Jean-Marc Ayoubi |
| author_sort | Hubert Bettinger |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Infertility affects 17% of the global population, yet fertility awareness remains low, particularly among younger individuals and men. This study assessed fertility awareness and attitudes toward infertility prevention among French adults of childbearing age, focusing on gender differences. Conducted via social media from March to May 2023, the survey included 322 participants aged 18–43 who had not consulted assisted reproduction centers. Most respondents were women (84%), under 33 (59%), from high socio-professional backgrounds (58%), in relationships (78%), and childless (59%). Significant gender differences emerged regarding desired ages for having a first (women: 30.7 ± 3.5 years vs. men: 32.8 ± 3.8 years; p = .06) and last child (women: 36.7 ± 3.6 years vs. men: 39.8 ± 4.5 years; p = .001). Only 55.8% of men correctly identified the female fertility window, compared to 64.1% of women ( p = .023). Men also showed lower awareness of the timing of female fertility decline ( p = .043) and underestimated the prevalence of assisted reproductive technologies among heterosexual couples ( p = .001). In addition, men were less likely to discuss fertility with their doctor (15.4% vs. 35.9%; p = .004) or express interest in infertility prevention consultations (53.9% vs. 60.8%; p = .048). These findings suggest a gender gap in fertility awareness, with men generally less informed and engaged in reproductive health discussions. While the small sample size limits generalizability, the results underscore the need for targeted educational efforts to improve fertility knowledge and encourage proactive reproductive health behaviors across genders. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-10227197e10f43cea75d38b57c2d9b1c |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1557-9891 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | American Journal of Men's Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-10227197e10f43cea75d38b57c2d9b1c2025-08-20T03:07:24ZengSAGE PublishingAmerican Journal of Men's Health1557-98912025-05-011910.1177/15579883251325513A “Fertility Awareness” Survey on Social Media: Men Can Do BetterHubert Bettinger0Marie Carbonnel1Alexandre Vallée2Catherine Racowsky3Henri-Corto Stoekle4Jean-Marc Ayoubi5UFR Simone Veil, University Versailles, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, FranceUFR Simone Veil, University Versailles, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, FranceDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, Foch Hospital, Suresnes, FranceUFR Simone Veil, University Versailles, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, FranceDepartment of Ethics and Scientific Integrity, Foch Hospital, Suresnes, FranceDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, Foch Hospital, Suresnes, FranceInfertility affects 17% of the global population, yet fertility awareness remains low, particularly among younger individuals and men. This study assessed fertility awareness and attitudes toward infertility prevention among French adults of childbearing age, focusing on gender differences. Conducted via social media from March to May 2023, the survey included 322 participants aged 18–43 who had not consulted assisted reproduction centers. Most respondents were women (84%), under 33 (59%), from high socio-professional backgrounds (58%), in relationships (78%), and childless (59%). Significant gender differences emerged regarding desired ages for having a first (women: 30.7 ± 3.5 years vs. men: 32.8 ± 3.8 years; p = .06) and last child (women: 36.7 ± 3.6 years vs. men: 39.8 ± 4.5 years; p = .001). Only 55.8% of men correctly identified the female fertility window, compared to 64.1% of women ( p = .023). Men also showed lower awareness of the timing of female fertility decline ( p = .043) and underestimated the prevalence of assisted reproductive technologies among heterosexual couples ( p = .001). In addition, men were less likely to discuss fertility with their doctor (15.4% vs. 35.9%; p = .004) or express interest in infertility prevention consultations (53.9% vs. 60.8%; p = .048). These findings suggest a gender gap in fertility awareness, with men generally less informed and engaged in reproductive health discussions. While the small sample size limits generalizability, the results underscore the need for targeted educational efforts to improve fertility knowledge and encourage proactive reproductive health behaviors across genders.https://doi.org/10.1177/15579883251325513 |
| spellingShingle | Hubert Bettinger Marie Carbonnel Alexandre Vallée Catherine Racowsky Henri-Corto Stoekle Jean-Marc Ayoubi A “Fertility Awareness” Survey on Social Media: Men Can Do Better American Journal of Men's Health |
| title | A “Fertility Awareness” Survey on Social Media: Men Can Do Better |
| title_full | A “Fertility Awareness” Survey on Social Media: Men Can Do Better |
| title_fullStr | A “Fertility Awareness” Survey on Social Media: Men Can Do Better |
| title_full_unstemmed | A “Fertility Awareness” Survey on Social Media: Men Can Do Better |
| title_short | A “Fertility Awareness” Survey on Social Media: Men Can Do Better |
| title_sort | fertility awareness survey on social media men can do better |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/15579883251325513 |
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