A new survey from the Royal College of Obstreticians and Gynaecologists in the UK has identified that four out of five women seeking fertility advice say information from different sources seems contradictory, and that 75% are not sure if the advice received is impartial or unbiased.
The survey, of 1,002 British women over 18 years who have not yet started menopause, reveals that 60% report feeling ‘overwhlemed’ by the sheer volume of advice available. In terms of the type of sources available, around half felt that online forums were unreliable. Facebook fared even worse with 75% saying that it was unreliable, and even the category of ‘family and friends’ did badly with 50% rating them ‘unreliable‘.
Of the 1,002 women surveyed, almost half reported that they have worried about their own fertility, and in the younger groups almost 25% of 18-24 year olds said they were currently concerned about the issue.
Other highlights of the survey include:
- One in nine women say they have frozen or considered freezing their eggs, with a further third saying they would consider this in the future.
- More than two in five women aged 18-24 said they would consider freezing their eggs in the future.
- A fifth have used a fertility app, with almost a third say they would consider using one in the future.
- One sixth have used an ovulation monitor or ovulation testing kit, one in nine have considered using one and a third would consider using one in the future.
- Nearly a fifth said they would consider seeking treatment abroad
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), commenting on their survey, say that women need to feel confident that they can trust the quality and effectiveness of the advice they are receiving on this important aspect of their lives, with RCOG president Professor Lesley Regan adding: “Trying for a baby can be an incredibly stressful time for some. This new data echoes what we have been hearing from women and patients for many years.”
