Fertility Awareness in a Cross-Sectional Study of Young Female Graduates in Oyo State

Abstract

Background: There has been a concerning increase in the prevalence of infertility globally. Consequently, Fertility awareness is being considered as a factor essential to preventing infertility. Fertility awareness also has the potential to influence better informed reproductive health- related decision making among young adults, particularly single females with the intention to have children later, and who may be navigating a transitional period in their lives.

The aim of this study is to assess the level of fertility awareness in a cohort of young educated women as it relates to their attitude and practices associated with fertility-based concerns.

Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional survey of two hundred and ninety-four (294) female youth corps members in a Local Government of Oyo State, South-West Nigeria was conducted. Respondents were interviewed using self-administered questionnaires. Data included socio- demographic characteristics and a measure of fertility knowledge, attitude and practice with a set of questions previously validated by other researchers. Data was analyzed using SPSS Version 29 and the level of significance for statistical analysis was set at p= 0.05.

Results: The respondents were females recently graduated from tertiary institutions, mostly single and from South-Western Nigeria with a mean age of 24.40 ± 2.60years. About half- 152 (51.7%) of the respondents had a High level of Fertility Awareness while 192 (65.3%) of them had a positive attitude towards fertility knowledge. Good practices related to fertility awareness were present among 142 (48.3%) of them. Those with a good level of fertility awareness appeared to have better practices related to fertility (p=0.00) as did those with a positive attitude towards fertility knowledge(p=0.04).

Conclusion: Fertility Awareness in young women is related to choices that make for better fertility outcomes in the future, hence knowledge to increase fertility awareness should be encouraged in this population.