Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions of Women of Reproductive Age Regarding Fertility and Elective Oocyte Cryopreservation: A Study from the Al-Qassim Region.

BackgroundOocyte cryopreservation is used for fertility preservation, medical reasons, and social reasons to overcome physiological decline in fertility with age. There was no research to find the knowledge, attitude, and perception of women regarding oocyte cryopreservation in our region. This study thus aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of women of reproductive age in Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia, regarding fertility and elective oocyte cryopreservation.MethodsAn Arabic-language online survey was conducted over six months targeting women aged 18-45 years in the Al-Qassim region. A total of 612 participants completed the questionnaire, which covered topics such as reproductive aspirations, knowledge of fertility, knowledge of elective oocyte cryopreservation, and concerns regarding fertility preservation. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21.0 (Released 2012; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States).ResultsThe majority of participants (47.1%) were aged 18-25 years. Participants' perceptions towards fertility preservation and social egg freezing were mixed, indicating varying levels of awareness about fertility issues. A statistically significant relationship was found between education level and knowledge of oocyte cryopreservation (p-value=0.004). Women with higher education levels (bachelor's, master's, and PhD degrees) demonstrated significantly greater knowledge (p-value=0.004) about oocyte cryopreservation compared to those with lower education levels. The study highlights the influence of educational attainment on knowledge of oocyte cryopreservation.ConclusionThese findings align with broader trends in health education, suggesting that higher educational attainment correlates with better fertility health literacy. Enhancing fertility health literacy through educational programs may lead to more proactive health behaviours and better awareness about available assisted reproductive technologies.