Le don de gamètes dans la prise en charge de l’infertilité du couple: connaissances, attitudes et perception des étudiants en médecine de la Faculté des Sciences de la Santé de Cotonou-Bénin

INTRODUCTION: infertility is a real public health problem. Medically Assisted Procreation (MAP) with donor gametes is one of the possible solutions. In Benin, despite a well-defined legislative framework (children´s code), MAP using donated gametes has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to assess knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of students at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences in Cotonou about the donation of gametes. METHODS: we conducted a cross-sectional and descriptive study among second or third-year medical students at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (FHMS) in Cotonou. RESULTS: the surveyed sample consisted of 236 students, of whom 54% (n=127) were male and 46% (n=109) were female; the representative age range was between 18 and 24 years (87%). The knowledge of MAP using donated gametes was 90.6% (n=214). The possibility that this treatment might be performed in Benin was known to be 55.6% (n=131). More that eighty-eight percent (n=209) of respondents were unaware of the existence of legislation in force since 2015 on this matter and 69.5% (n=164) refused to donate gametes. Among the reasons mentioned, the ethical reason dominated. CONCLUSION: in Benin, students´ knowledge about MAP using donated gametes is adequate but there is a widespread refusal to donate their gametes among them, mainly because of ethical issues.