Table 2.
Ob-gyn’s experience, approach, and knowledge towards counseling patients on reproductive aging
| Questions | Number (percentage) |
|---|---|
| Please rate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement: at some point during a patient’s reproductive lifespan, a conversation should take place with her ob-gyn regarding fertility decline with aging (736) | |
| Strongly disagree | 15 (2.0) |
| Somewhat disagree | 26 (3.5) |
| Neither agree nor disagree | 86 (11.7) |
| Somewhat agree | 225 (30.6) |
| Strongly agree | 384 (52.2) |
| How often do you encounter patients that desire future childbearing, but are delaying for social reasons (lack of partner, career goals, etc.)? (741) | |
| Never | 12 (1.6) |
| Very infrequently | 115 (15.5) |
| Somewhat infrequently | 215 (29.0) |
| Somewhat frequently | 314 (42.4) |
| Very frequently | 85 (11.5) |
| During annual exams, how often do you ask women about their future reproduction/pregnancy plans if: | |
| They are between 18 and 34 years old? (760) | |
| Never | 16 (2.1) |
| Sometimes | 134 (17.6) |
| About half the time | 90 (11.9) |
| Most of the time | 307 (40.4) |
| Always | 213 (28.0) |
| They are between 35 and 44 years old? (759) | |
| Never | 19 (2.5) |
| Sometimes | 131 (17.3) |
| About half the time | 108 (14.2) |
| Most of the time | 297 (39.1) |
| Always | 204 (26.9) |
| Based on your current practice, how often do you counsel women who desire future childbearing on age-related fertility decline if: | |
| They are between 18 and 34 years old? (755) | |
| Never | 86 (11.4) |
| Sometimes | 330 (43.7) |
| About half the time | 130 (17.2) |
| Most of the time | 152 (20.1) |
| Always | 57 (7.6) |
| They are between 35 and 44 years old? (758) | |
| Never | 22 (2.9) |
| Sometimes | 94 (12.4) |
| About half the time | 68 (8.9) |
| Most of the time | 284 (37.5) |
| Always | 290 (38.3) |
| Is there a specific age at which you typically begin to discuss age-related fertility decline? (756) | |
| No | 356 (47.1) |
| Yes (please specify): _____ | 388 (51.3) |
| N/A I do not bring up fertility decline with aging | 12 (1.6) |
| Those that responded yes (388) | Mean = 33.6 ± 3.1 years old * Bottom 10th % range—25–30 years old Top 10th % range—37–50 years old |
| In your practice, what are the barriers to counseling patients on reproductive aging? Limited time (732) | |
| Not a barrier | 177 (24.2) |
| Minor barrier | 321 (43.9) |
| Major barrier | 234 (31.9) |
| Limited knowledge (726) | |
| Not a barrier | 425 (58.5) |
| Minor barrier | 261 (36.0) |
| Major barrier | 40 (5.5) |
| Limited training (725) | |
| Not a barrier | 414 (57.1) |
| Minor barrier | 273 (37.7) |
| Major barrier | 38 (5.2) |
| It contradicts with my personal beliefs (726) | |
| Not a barrier | 697 (96) |
| Minor barrier | 21 (2.9) |
| Major barrier | 8 (1.1) |
| Discomfort bringing it up with patients (728) | |
| Not a barrier | 634 (87.1) |
| Minor barrier | 82 (11.3) |
| Major barrier | 12 (1.6) |
| Other please specify (71) ____________ | |
| A significant decline in fertility occurs during which age range? (737) | |
| 20–29 | 15 (2.0) |
| 30–34 | 148 (20.1) |
| 35–37 ** | 290 (39.3) |
| 38–40 | 216 (29.3) |
| 41–42 | 52 (7.1) |
| 43–44 | 16 (2.2) |
| For couples presenting to your office with infertility, do you feel comfortable performing an infertility evaluation? (734) | |
| Yes | 645 (87.9) |
| No (skip next question) | 89 (12.1) |
| Approximately how long do you typically wait for a couple to try to conceive before performing an infertility workup, when the women trying to conceive is: | |
| 35 years old (645) | |
| Immediately | 55 (8.5) |
| 3 months | 74 (11.5) |
| 6 months | 466 (72.3) |
| 9 months | 28 (4.3) |
| 12 months or more | 22 (3.4) |
| 40 years old (642) | |
| Immediately | 352 (54.8) |
| 3 months | 143 (22.3) |
| 6 months | 139 (21.7) |
| 9 months | 4 (0.6) |
| 12 months or more | 4 (0.6) |
| Following in vitro fertilization (IVF) for patients _____ years old, live birth rates per cycle are approximately ______ (718) | |
| 41–42 years old (718) | |
| 1% | 9 (1.3) |
| 5% | 95 (13.2) |
| 10% ** | 205 (28.5) |
| 20% | 194 (27.0) |
| 30% | 138 (19.2) |
| 40% | 55 (7.7) |
| 50% | 22 (3.1) |
| 43–44 years old (716) | |
| 1% | 103 (14.4) |
| 5% ** | 239 (33.4) |
| 10% | 176 (24.6) |
| 20% | 120 (16.8) |
| 30% | 58 (8.1) |
| 40% | 16 (2.2) |
| 50% | 4 (0.5) |
| > 44 years old (717) | |
| 1% ** | 349 (48.7) |
| 5% | 183 (25.5) |
| 10% | 102 (14.3) |
| 20% | 61 (8.5) |
| 30% | 20 (2.8) |
| 40% | 1 (0.1) |
| 50% | 1 (0.1) |
Data are given as number of responses with percentages in parenthesis. Number entered in parenthesis following question corresponds to number of responses obtained for each question
*Mean ± standard deviation
**Denotes correct answer based on published literature