Knowledge of Fertility and Perception of Fertility Treatment Among Adults with Sickle Cell Disease (KNOW FERTILITY)

Background

Adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) face unique fertility risks due to SCD and use of disease modifying therapies (DMTs). Concerns about compromising fertility may inform patients' therapy choices, but little is known about fertility knowledge in adults with SCD. The Cardiff Fertility Knowledge Scale (CFKS) and Fertility Treatment Perception Survey have been studied in international and national cohorts ^1,2. The purpose of this study was to administer these surveys to adults with SCD and compare responses to previously studied populations.

Methods

Our IRB approved this cross-sectional study of adults with SCD (≥18YO) cared for at our Sickle Cell Center for Adults. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, eligible subjects were recruited during routine telemedicine clinic visits and by invitation via electronic medical record. We collected demographic information (sex, age (≥/< 31YO), educational attainment, and use of DMTs). The CFKS is a 13-question survey that measures knowledge of causes of reduced fertility, common misconceptions about fertility, and infertility facts. Questions are answered True/False/Don't know and equally weighted; the cumulative score is 0-100%. We compared the mean CFKS scores to the scores from two published cohorts ^1,2. The fertility treatment perception survey consists of two positive and four negative statements about fertility treatment with responses given on a five-point Likert scale (1= strongly disagree to 5= strongly agree). Responses are calculated by number of respondents with an agreement score of 4 and/or 5 divided by total number of respondents per sub-group; higher scores indicate stronger agreement. Analysis included summary statistics with means and standard deviations and independent student's T-test to compare the mean fertility knowledge scores.

Results

We contacted 435 subjects; 91 respondents were enrolled (21% response rate). Respondents were 77% female [median age 33 years (IQR 23, 50)]. 51% completed high school or less and 18% used one or more DMTs, with 65% taking hydroxyurea. Table 1 shows the CFKS results. The average CFKS score was 50%, lower than the international cohort (50% vs. 57%, p<0.001) and higher than a cohort of Black women in Atlanta, GA (50% vs. 38%, p<0.001). Respondents with higher educational attainment had a higher score (55% secondary education vs. 44% primary education, p=0.04). The questions most answered correctly addressed the lack of correlation between erectile function and fertility (79%) and smoking's risk to fertility in men (69%) and women (71%). The questions least answered correctly were about classifying infertility (32%) and the impact of age effect (34%), overweight effect (25%), and sexually transmitted infections' effect on fertility (36%). There was no difference in knowledge scores by age, sex, or SCD treatment. Table 2 shows fertility treatment perception survey results. Some respondents (34%) agreed that fertility treatments are safe. Almost half (46%) agreed that fertility treatments are effective. Over 60% of respondents agreed that fertility treatments are scary and/or cause emotional problems, while 48% agreed that fertility treatments may have short-term physical effects. There was no difference in responses by sex, age, or SCD treatment.

Conclusion

In this study, we identify that higher educational attainment in adults with SCD is associated with better fertility knowledge. All subjects had low knowledge of sexually transmitted infections, weight gain, and older age as infertility risks. Although there is concern that hydroxyurea may compromise fertility, its use was not associated with greater fertility knowledge in this study. Given concerns about fertility in the SCD community, we identify an opportunity to support patients concerned about fertility by contextualizing real or theorized SCD-specific fertility risks within a broader set of established fertility risks.

References:

1. Bunting L, Tsibulsky I, Boivin J. Fertility knowledge and beliefs about fertility treatment: findings from the International Fertility Decision-making Study. Hum Reprod. 2013 Feb;28(2):385-97. doi: 10.1093/humrep/des402. Epub 2012 Nov 25. PMID: 23184181.

2. Wiltshire A, Brayboy LM, Phillips K, et al. Infertility knowledge and treatment beliefs among African American women in an urban community. Contracept Reprod Med. 2019 Sep 24;4:16. doi: 10.1186/s40834-019-0097-x. PMCID: PMC6757383.

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