Turkish University seniors’ knowledge of and opinions on fertility and expectations of having children

Abstract

Background: In recent years the trend of postponement of child bearing has been increasing. Aim: To assess knowledge on fertility and expectations of having children in seniors at a Turkish University. Methods: The cross-sectional study sample (n=485) comprised senior students of the University in the branches of medicine, social sciences, and life sciences. Data were collected via a self-administered questionnaire in 2015. Results: The mean age of the students was 23.03±1.93 and 98.1% were unmarried. 88.45% of these students wanted to have children in the future. A higher percentage of females planned parenthood in the future than males. Males desired more children than females. Most students wanted to have their first child at age 25–29. Males wanted to have their first and last child later than did females. In case of infertility, 74.4% of females and 54.2% of males stated that they can benefit from assisted reproduction techniques. Students overestimated the success rate of assisted reproduction techniques. The percentage of students who were aware of the age at which fertility begins to decline was low. Conclusion: The expectations of seniors at a Turkish university to have children in the future are high, with insufficient knowledge on fertility.