Recent date from the National Survey of Reproductive and Contraceptive Knowledge in the United States, showed that a worrying level of young people have very limited awareness of the process of fertility. The study looked at the knowledge levels of 1,800 single men and women aged between 18 and 29, asking them if they were aware of when a woman’s most fertile time was during her monthly cycle.
The correct answer is that a woman is more fertile halfway between two periods, but only one third of respondents knew this, meaning that two thirds of them were clueless. Those who practised the ‘withdrawal method’ of contraception were more likely to be aware of this fact (although this is not a reliable method of contraception). It was worrying, however, to note that this still left a margin of 42 percent of women who had used this method of contraception (which relies on fertility knowledge) but had inaccurate fertility knowledge. Even more shocking was the 71 percent of male respondents who had used this method without being properly aware of when a woman’s fertile time was.
Women were more likely to know about the fertile time overall, however, with 42 percent of them getting the correct answer as opposed to just 27 percent of the men. Women’s knowledge of family wellness and fertility also improved as they got older, whereas men’s knowledge remained shockingly low.
Previous sex education didn’t seem to have made a difference to the outcomes displayed by people’s responses.
Understanding fertility is vital for the wellbeing of young people who are involved in sexual relationships, or even for those who plan one day to be involved in a sexual relationship. All young people should attempt to educate themselves on the basics, including when a woman’s fertile period is – although it is also important to remember that this varies from woman to woman, and can even vary from month to month, too.
Comments are closed.