OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of the initial @entity249 visit on treatment-related knowledge, @entity1 @entity148 , and appraisals of treatment. DESIGN: Prospective survey. SETTING: Academic medical center. @entity1 (S): Two hundred thirty-four English-speaking @entity1 aged 18-50  years attending their first @entity249 visit. INTERVENTION(S): @entity1 completed a survey assessing health literacy, knowledge, @entity148 , and appraisals of the treatment process before and after their @entity249 visit. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Knowledge of @entity249 and treatment and @entity148 and appraisal scores. RESULT(S): Most @entity1 were white and earned > 100,000/year and had at least a college education. Baseline knowledge of reproductive anatomy, assisted reproductive technology (ART), and fertility factors was modest but improved after the initial visit. Factors associated with higher knowledge included higher education and income, white or Asian ethnicity, and English as a primary language. @entity1 appraisals of treatment represented by the positive (Challenge) and negative (Threat and Loss) subscale scores on the Appraisal of Life Events (ALE) scale changed over time Negative appraisals of treatment and @entity148 scores decreased and positive appraisals of treatment increased after the initial visit. Lower knowledge was associated with higher positive appraisal scores; lower health literacy was associated with higher @entity148 and appraisal scores (positive and negative) after the visit. Black @entity1 had higher Challenge scores compared with white and Asian @entity1 . Hispanic @entity1 had higher @entity148 scores than non-Hispanic @entity1 . CONCLUSION(S): @entity249 @entity1 have modest baseline knowledge of fertility and @entity249 treatment. The initial @entity249 visit can improve this knowledge and decrease both negative appraisals of treatment and @entity148 levels. Differences in knowledge and appraisal were seen across ethnic groups and other demographic variables. Physicians should individualize @entity1 counseling to improve @entity1 ' knowledge and provide realistic treatment expectations while also reducing @entity1 @entity148 .

First contact: the intersection of demographics, knowledge, and appraisal of treatment at the initial XXXX visit.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['participants', 'women', 'patients', 'patient', 'Participants', 'Patient', 'PATIENT'] @entity249 :: ('MESH:D007246', 'Disease') :: ['Infertility', 'infertility'] @entity148 :: ('MESH:D001008', 'Disease') :: ['anxiety']
@entity249 :: (MESH:D007246,Disease) :: ['infertility']
