Periodic Reporting for period 2 - B2-InF (Be Better Informed About Fertility. Giving voice to citizens towards improving assisted reproduction technologies for society)
Berichtszeitraum: 2022-05-01 bis 2023-10-31
There is no universal access to MAR. Some countries impose sociodemographic criteria such as sexual orientation, marital status or age for access to ART. For example, in Italy, marriage is required, and in Switzerland a stable relationship is required, whereas in Spain there are no established regulations. Another B2-InF’s assumption is that the incorporation of societal voices in scientific and policy actions will lead to relevant applications of science and governance with regard to ART.
B2-InF estimates that an effort must be made to ensure gender equality when reporting biomedical interventions. B2-InF considers that if the European Union (EU) aspires to a common framework on relevant issues such as MAR, it is necessary to study sociocultural differences through both questionnaires (quantitative data) and semi-structured interviews (qualitative data), giving voice to concerns and expectations of citizens towards improving ART for society
The results of B2-InF are being used to provide recommendations and guidelines for improvements of the information provided by the ART clinics to society, from three different perspectives (sociocultural, legal and gender). With these guidelines, each clinic can be self-evaluated by analysing the extent to which it is open and transparent, and to what extent it is responsive and is adaptive to change. B2-InF also invites reflection on public knowledge and assumptions that will help to shape future research and innovation in the field of ART.
B2-InF gives citizens an essential role in each of its three main steps. In the Data Collection Stage, B2-InF gave voice to the youth-real felt needs and concerns through individual interviews in 8 countries. These perceptions collected were assembled in various validation workshops and events to receive feedback and validate the reports. In the Building Guidelines Step, citizens from FE Association in each country, together with youth people involve in civil associations, have been assembled in workshops and events to give us further feedback and to validate the national guidelines. Finally, in the Building Awareness Stage international and associations involved in B2-InF have contributed for the dissemination of the guidelines in their respective countries.
The objectives have been:
1. Give voice to citizens towards improving ART.
2. Test an innovative co-creation methodology that bridges research communities with the wider public in the area of ART, with the capacity to align research developments with the needs, expectations and values of society.
3. Create a RRI roadmap for ART.
4. Provide information to policymakers responsible for the legal conditions of ART, allowing them to create legislation in line with the citizens’ needs and expectations.
5. Collect, analyse and transfer social scientific knowledge, expectations, and concerns about ART to clinics.
B2-InF estimates that an effort must be made to ensure gender equality when reporting biomedical interventions. B2-InF considers that if the European Union (EU) aspires to a common framework on relevant issues such as MAR, it is necessary to study sociocultural differences through both questionnaires (quantitative data) and semi-structured interviews (qualitative data), giving voice to concerns and expectations of citizens towards improving ART for society
The results of B2-InF are being used to provide recommendations and guidelines for improvements of the information provided by the ART clinics to society, from three different perspectives (sociocultural, legal and gender). With these guidelines, each clinic can be self-evaluated by analysing the extent to which it is open and transparent, and to what extent it is responsive and is adaptive to change. B2-InF also invites reflection on public knowledge and assumptions that will help to shape future research and innovation in the field of ART.
B2-InF gives citizens an essential role in each of its three main steps. In the Data Collection Stage, B2-InF gave voice to the youth-real felt needs and concerns through individual interviews in 8 countries. These perceptions collected were assembled in various validation workshops and events to receive feedback and validate the reports. In the Building Guidelines Step, citizens from FE Association in each country, together with youth people involve in civil associations, have been assembled in workshops and events to give us further feedback and to validate the national guidelines. Finally, in the Building Awareness Stage international and associations involved in B2-InF have contributed for the dissemination of the guidelines in their respective countries.
The objectives have been:
1. Give voice to citizens towards improving ART.
2. Test an innovative co-creation methodology that bridges research communities with the wider public in the area of ART, with the capacity to align research developments with the needs, expectations and values of society.
3. Create a RRI roadmap for ART.
4. Provide information to policymakers responsible for the legal conditions of ART, allowing them to create legislation in line with the citizens’ needs and expectations.
5. Collect, analyse and transfer social scientific knowledge, expectations, and concerns about ART to clinics.
In the first stage of the project B2-InF carried out the obtention of the clinics information (WP2) and the perceptions of the young population (WP1). The B2-inF X conducted a thematic analysis and a global report in which a gap between the information provided by the clinics and the perceptions of the young population could be seen.
Thanks to the thematic analysis in three different areas (Gender, Socio-cultural and Legal) carried out by the B2-Inf research teams, a series of recommendations, drafted in the form of guidelines, have been described as the main outcome of the project.
This document gathers the results of the study carried out in each of the 8 countries of the project.
A global document has been produced, which includes the recommendations in each of the 8 countries, together with global (international) recommendations. This document is the basis for global dissemination.
At the same time, in order to achieve a greater number of stakeholders reached, individual publications have been published with the recommendations of each country in their respective language. These documents are the basis for country-specific dissemination.
In addition, policy briefs have been prepared for each country, as an element of dissemination to policymakers and national governments.
The last phase of the project focused on building awareness and transfer of kwnoledge.
A plan for exploitation and dissemination of results was developed, mainly carried out in the last 10 months of the project.
It is concerned with transferring the outcomes of B2-InF to those target groups with a position to influence society from different angles.
the project envisaged three types of activities:
1. Participation in conferences and workshops held at relevant MAR-related meetings
2. Preparation of 9 policy briefs: eight tailored to local languages and needs of the participating countries and one global brief
3. Implementation of advocacy actions with the most relevant target groups,
The following activities were put in place:
• 8 events organised;
• 11 events attended;
• 18 oral presentations;
• 39 meetings with stakeholders (especially clinics and organisations)
• Several scientific publications are in the pipeline and published.
In addition to this, specific effort has been made to build social awareness and inform the society and young people:
• The organisation of six master classes, science week and conferences at Universities;
• Co-creation methodology with workshops;
The B2-InF consortium will continue to disseminate and transfer the developed recommendation guidelines, as results of the project, both at events and at European and international congresses.
Thanks to the thematic analysis in three different areas (Gender, Socio-cultural and Legal) carried out by the B2-Inf research teams, a series of recommendations, drafted in the form of guidelines, have been described as the main outcome of the project.
This document gathers the results of the study carried out in each of the 8 countries of the project.
A global document has been produced, which includes the recommendations in each of the 8 countries, together with global (international) recommendations. This document is the basis for global dissemination.
At the same time, in order to achieve a greater number of stakeholders reached, individual publications have been published with the recommendations of each country in their respective language. These documents are the basis for country-specific dissemination.
In addition, policy briefs have been prepared for each country, as an element of dissemination to policymakers and national governments.
The last phase of the project focused on building awareness and transfer of kwnoledge.
A plan for exploitation and dissemination of results was developed, mainly carried out in the last 10 months of the project.
It is concerned with transferring the outcomes of B2-InF to those target groups with a position to influence society from different angles.
the project envisaged three types of activities:
1. Participation in conferences and workshops held at relevant MAR-related meetings
2. Preparation of 9 policy briefs: eight tailored to local languages and needs of the participating countries and one global brief
3. Implementation of advocacy actions with the most relevant target groups,
The following activities were put in place:
• 8 events organised;
• 11 events attended;
• 18 oral presentations;
• 39 meetings with stakeholders (especially clinics and organisations)
• Several scientific publications are in the pipeline and published.
In addition to this, specific effort has been made to build social awareness and inform the society and young people:
• The organisation of six master classes, science week and conferences at Universities;
• Co-creation methodology with workshops;
The B2-InF consortium will continue to disseminate and transfer the developed recommendation guidelines, as results of the project, both at events and at European and international congresses.
The main result in B2-InF is the national recommendation guidelines. B2-InF has developed 8 national recommendation guidelines and other international one in which it tries to align the ART clinic’s offer with the perceptions of the young people. The impact of these guidelines is
INDUSTRY: Recommendation guidelines have shown the need for the industry to be transparent, clear, and concise with the online information it offers. In this sense, B2-InF provides recommendation guidelines that can serve as a guide for fair competition within the framework of the legislation.
GOVERNANCE:B2-InF recommendation guidelines can allow political actors to consider the concerns and expectations of society when planning policies related to ART. In countries where MAR is funded by the public health service, the implementation of the recommendation guidelines in the sector may result in a reduction of public expenditure. Currently, public health spending is directed at a high percentage of the population with no impact when treatment fails. Better informed policy makers can translate into adequate funding predictability based on real expectations of success.
CITIZENS: B2-InF promotes the engagement of reproductive science with wider society through alignment of clinical services and information with the knowledge, concerns and expectations of population. These improvements would directly impact the 500,000 Europeans who visit ART clinics annually. Indirectly, B2-InF’s results could also impact 6 million couples who visit clinics annually in developed countries, and 48.5 million people who suffer from infertility problems worldwide.
Accordingly, B2-InF promises to have a unique and resounding impact on society and on ART as an unexplored area for RRI and SwafS, with potential to yield ground-breaking outcomes and to make a difference to a significant portion of the EU population.
INDUSTRY: Recommendation guidelines have shown the need for the industry to be transparent, clear, and concise with the online information it offers. In this sense, B2-InF provides recommendation guidelines that can serve as a guide for fair competition within the framework of the legislation.
GOVERNANCE:B2-InF recommendation guidelines can allow political actors to consider the concerns and expectations of society when planning policies related to ART. In countries where MAR is funded by the public health service, the implementation of the recommendation guidelines in the sector may result in a reduction of public expenditure. Currently, public health spending is directed at a high percentage of the population with no impact when treatment fails. Better informed policy makers can translate into adequate funding predictability based on real expectations of success.
CITIZENS: B2-InF promotes the engagement of reproductive science with wider society through alignment of clinical services and information with the knowledge, concerns and expectations of population. These improvements would directly impact the 500,000 Europeans who visit ART clinics annually. Indirectly, B2-InF’s results could also impact 6 million couples who visit clinics annually in developed countries, and 48.5 million people who suffer from infertility problems worldwide.
Accordingly, B2-InF promises to have a unique and resounding impact on society and on ART as an unexplored area for RRI and SwafS, with potential to yield ground-breaking outcomes and to make a difference to a significant portion of the EU population.