Abstract
Examining fertility knowledge and identifying knowledge gaps in those who may need to delay childbearing is essential, especially for individuals who may be pursuing higher education. Educating these individuals is also critical as prior research has confirmed that fertility awareness may modify future reproductive choices and outcomes. The primary goals of this project are to ascertain baseline fertility knowledge in well-educated undergraduate students and to determine the best educational methods to improve fertility knowledge. An electronic REDCap survey that included 43 fertility-related questions was distributed to undergraduate students enrolled at Northwestern University. Answers were collected and analysis of the descriptive statistics was performed. In this cohort of undergraduate students, knowledge about the age-related decline in fertility was limited. The majority of students plan to delay childbearing, but a substantial proportion has anxiety about their future fertility due to career goals. Further, this study confirms students are interested in learning about fertility and provides better insight into the preferred educational methods amongst undergraduates. The majority of the cohort was composed of females and a large percentage were planning to pursue a career in medicine. As the incidence of infertility is markedly higher in female physicians, it is imperative that all individuals, but particularly those females pursuing medicine, receive tailored early education regarding the age-related decline in fertility. Early education can help empower undergraduates, prepare them to make informed decisions that will lead to successful reproductive outcomes, and decrease the incidence of infertility in those who delay childbearing.