Are attitudes towards infertility associated with gender perception?

Abstract

Infertility is not life-threatening but is nevertheless an important problem that threatens a couple's wellbeing due to its negative impact on their emotional health and quality of life. This descriptive, correlational study aimed to determine the relationship between university students' attitudes towards infertility and their gender perceptions. The study was conducted in a state university with a total of 602 students. Data were collected using a personal information form, the Attitude Toward Infertility Scale (ATIS), and the Gender Perception Scale (GPS). The scales have no cut-off value and higher scores indicating positive perception of gender and infertility. The study data were evaluated with Spearman's correlation analysis and simple linear regression analysis test was used to analyze the association between GPS and ATIS scores and also the statistical significance was accepted as p<0.05. As a result 63.1% of the students were female; 80.9% had knowledge about infertility and gender inequality. The students' mean GPS and ATIS scores were 104.60±15.54 (range: 52-125) and 49.11±7.62 (range: 19-60), respectively. GPS and ATIS scores were positively associated in linear regression analysis (β=0.30; p<0.001) and correlation analysis (rho:0.590; p<0.001). The results of this study showed that university students had positive gender perception and attitudes toward infertility. In addition, students' attitudes toward infertility were directly associated with the modifiable factor of gender perception.