Europeans’ perspectives on assisted reproduction
Infertility is a global concern affecting millions of individuals and their families. Addressing this issue involves proper diagnosis and medical treatment to secure the right to decide the number, timing and spacing of their children. However, achieving equal and equitable access to fertility care remains a challenge worldwide. Medical assisted reproduction (MAR) plays a crucial role in overcoming infertility, encompassing a range of medical procedures tailored to the complexities of human reproductive physiology. These procedures, including in vitro fertilisation (IVF), are offered by specialised MAR clinics when knowing the causes and trying to reverse the infertility prove unsuccessful.
Public awareness and concerns
Despite legal standards regulating information provided by MAR clinics, gaps exist – as some clinics fail to meet these standards, omitting crucial details about health risks and presenting success rates in vague terms. The EU-funded B2-InF project addresses these issues by comparing and analysing information from MAR clinics with a focus on gender, sociocultural and legal perspectives. Through interviews, workshops, and seminars involving various stakeholders, the project collects public feedback and validates national guidelines. “We wanted to capture citizens’ voices on MAR, to drive improvements in fertility care,” highlights project coordinator Fran Guell.
Insights from young Europeans
As emerged from B2-InF interviews, young Europeans generally support MAR treatments as a solution for infertility. However, concerns arise about their limited knowledge of MAR and potential biases in information provided by clinics due to commercial interests. They advocate for clearer, more accessible and reliable information on health risks, success rates and psychological support. Young people also highlight the connection between infertility and societal pressure on gender roles, underscoring the need to destigmatise male infertility. Barriers to MAR access, such as cost and restrictions, further emphasise the importance of universal access to primary and reproductive healthcare services.
Addressing information gaps
“B2-InF discovered a significant gap between the information provided by clinics and the information required by law,” highlights Guell. The project underscores the need for clinics to offer complete, clear and comprehensible information, based on the best available evidence regarding potential health risks for children conceived through MAR and patients undergoing fertility treatment. Especially noteworthy is the sparsity of information provided by fertility clinics in comparison with other medical services or over-the-counter medicines (e.g. ibuprofen). “This comparison highlights the surprising disparity in transparency and accessibility of MAR information,” continues Guell. Clinics should inform patients about the prevalence of infertility and MAR in society, clarifying the lengthy and challenging nature of MAR procedures, along with potential psychological challenges. Websites should present evidence-based sources for verification purposes, ensuring transparency and accuracy. Importantly, information should be more gender-inclusive, reflecting the ethnic, cultural and racial diversity of European citizens.
Legal compliance and patient expectations
B2-InF stresses the importance of clinics complying with legal standards to meet the concerns and expectations of young people regarding health risks and success rates. Legal compliance is seen as a fundamental expectation, ensuring that medical service providers act in the best interest of patients by providing all necessary information for informed decision-making.
Keywords
B2-InF, clinics, infertility, legal standards, medically assisted reproduction, assisted reproductive technologies, IVF