Fertility awareness among medical and non-medical students: a case-control study

BACKGROUND: To compare the understanding and perceptions of fertility issues among medical and non-medical University students. METHODS: In a prospective case-control study, using a 43 item questionnaire with 5 sections and 43 questions regarding personal data (8 questions), lifestyle factors (9 questions), plans on having children (5 questions), age and fertility (5 questions), and lifestyle and fertility (16 questions), knowledge of fertility and influencing factors, desired age at commencement and completion of childbearing, among male and female medical and non-medical students in their first academic year at Vienna University, Vienna, Austria were evaluated. RESULTS: 340 students were included. 262/340 (77%) participants planned to have children in the future. Medical students (n = 170) planned to have fewer and later children and had a higher awareness of the impact of age on fertility than non-medical students (n = 170; estimated knowledge probability 0.55 [medical students] vs. 0.47 [non-medical students]; F (1, 336) = 5.18 and p = .024 (η p = .015). Gender did not independently affect estimated knowledge probability (F (1, 336) = 1.50 and p = .221). More female and male medical students had a positive attitude towards Assisted Reproductive Technology in case of infertility than non-medical students (47 and 55% vs. 23 and 29%, respectively; p = <.001). Medical students had a healthier lifestyle than non-medical students. A healthy lifestyle and female gender were associated with higher fertility awareness. CONCLUSIONS: Medical students have a higher awareness of fertility issues than non-medical students. Choice of academic study, gender, and personal life style are important factors affecting fertility awareness. These data may be helpful to address knowledge gaps among young non-medical Academics. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1477-7827-12-94) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.