An assessment of female university students' attitudes toward screening technologies for ovarian reserve

Objective: To assess female university students' attitudes toward screening technologies for ovarian reserve and their potential influence on career and family planning decisions. Design: Online survey. Setting: Not applicable. Patient(s): Respondents from 4 universities in Northern California. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): Proportion with interest in screening technologies for ovarian reserve. Result(s): Of the 328 respondents, 79% were interested in learning about the current status of their ovarian reserve. Hypothetically, if informed that ovarian reserve was very low, 53% would consider oocyte cryopreservation (even when informed that it is experimental); however, only 29% would consider stopping educational or professional pursuits to focus on conceiving. Participants also demonstrated gaps in knowledge, believing that the decline in ovarian reserve starts later than it actually does, that diet and nutrition can preserve ovarian reserve, and that infertility treatments are highly effective regardless of how severe the depletion of the egg supply is. Conclusion(s): Women attending universities are interested in assessing their own ovarian reserve. Gaps in knowledge about ovarian reserve exist among these reproductive-aged women.