P–738 Fertility Preservation: Comparative analysis about the knowledge of the topic between two female populations in Argentina and the United States
Authors: Cullere M , Herran M , Martoglio R , Herrera V , Carrel S , Scott O , Aldrich E , Johnson E , Sanche. Sarmiento C 
Published: August 2021

Abstract

Study question
Is there any difference in the knowledge that women in Córdoba (Argentina) and South Carolina (United States) have about fertility preservation, according to their socioeconomic and educational level?

Summary answer
Scarce knowledge about fertility preservation in both populations was registered. Only sectors of higher socioeconomic and educational level responded correctly with values close to 60%.

What is known already
There are numerous factors that may motivate the need to preserve fertility in young individuals. These factors can be grouped into two causes: social (postponement of motherhood, gender change, etc.), or medical (oncological or surgical treatments). In these situations, it is important that society in general has access to information about fertility and the possibilities of preserving it, if necessary. On the other hand, in each country and region in particular the information on this topic is distributed in different ways, which could generate differences in the level of knowledge on these issues in different population groups.

Study design, size, duration
Descriptive quantitative study. A total of 3,041 answers were obtained, 88.8% from Argentina and 10.00% from the United States. An 83.72% (2,521) of the answers were made by women.

Participants/materials, setting, methods
A closed-ended questionnaire of 20 questions was designed (segmentation and aspects of knowledge about fertility and its preservation) and distributed to different sectors of society through social networks. The survey was answered by people from Córdoba (Argentina) and South Carolina (US), of both sexes and different age groups, educational levels (basic/higher) and socioeconomic levels (medium-low/high). All answers were collected through SurveyMonkey and were analyzed using calculation programs and statistical tools (Excel 2016, Statistica 8.0).

Main results and the role of chance
Data showed that the 47.98% of Argentine women and 42.68% of American women surveyed do not know the age at which fertility begins to decline. The group with the highest percentage of incorrect answers (61.11%) for this question was that of Argentine women who had no previous experience with assisted fertility and come from the lower-middle social class. When asked about the knowledge about the factors that affect fertility, only 55% of Argentine women answered correctly, compared to 64.85% of American women. For the Argentine group, the proportion of correct answers increased to 62.23% for higher education level and to 56.60% for higher socioeconomic level. Regarding whether they know what fertility preservation procedure consists of, only 47.98% of Argentine women and 42.68% of American women answered correctly. On the other hand, 69.37% of the former and 63.18% of the latter do not know which biological materials can be cryopreserved. Finally, only 25.68% of women in Argentina know about the extent of their medical coverage in terms of fertility preservation procedures, while this percentage is 7.95% for the US population.

Limitations, reasons for caution
The comparison between the two countries may be challenged by the inequality in the response rate to the survey. However, even the smaller number of responses obtained in the USA is sufficient to obtain valid conclusions.
Wider implications of the findings: The level of misinformation registered in this study could imply reduced chances of achieving pregnancy in the future, especially for older women, those who wish to postpone motherhood or those who must undergo cancer treatments. This work provides important information in the politics designing promoting information access on fertility preservation.

Trial registration number
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