Thwaites, Annette;
(2022)
Contraception After Successful In Vitro Fertilisation: What do women need?
Doctoral thesis (M.D(Res)), UCL (University College London).
Preview |
Text
Thwaites_10154864_thesis.pdf Download (8MB) | Preview |
Abstract
Background: The accessibility and use of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) have increased rapidly in the developed world since its inception in 1978. IVF is now used for a wide range of subfertility causes, including unexplained subfertility. It is also used by growing subgroups of women who may not have experienced subfertility, for example, single women using donor sperm. This study aims to better understand the contraceptive needs of women after successful IVF pregnancy to improve service delivery and prevent unplanned and rapid-repeat pregnancies in this group. / Methods: A mixed methods approach was adopted including i) systematic literature review and meta-analysis of the incidence of spontaneous pregnancy after IVF livebirth ii) qualitative study of views of 21 women who had spontaneous pregnancies after successful IVF iii) cross-sectional survey of 549 postpartum women in the UK. Participants were recruited using purposive and snowballing sampling methods. The framework method was used for qualitative data analysis. The survey data were analysed across two comparator groups, women who had IVF to conceive their most recent livebirth and women who had conceived without fertility treatment. / Results: Current evidence shows spontaneous pregnancy occurs in at least one in five women within 2-3 years of IVF livebirth. Contraceptive choices after IVF livebirth were subject to a complex and dynamic interaction of influencing factors including beliefs regarding subfertility, desire for children and views on contraception. Contraception use after birth was significantly less likely in women who conceived via IVF and subsequent spontaneous pregnancies were less planned in this group. / Conclusions: The contraceptive needs of women having IVF pregnancies are real and being overlooked. Fertility services should take responsibility for providing information on the risks of subsequent spontaneous pregnancy. Maternity and community healthcare professionals must address women’s perceptions of their fertility to engage them in effective contraception counselling.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | M.D(Res) |
| Title: | Contraception After Successful In Vitro Fertilisation: What do women need? |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2022. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL EGA Institute for Womens Health UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL EGA Institute for Womens Health > Maternal and Fetal Medicine UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL EGA Institute for Womens Health > Reproductive Health UCL |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10154864 |
Archive Staff Only
 |
View Item |
