Mertes, H;
Harper, J;
Boivin, J;
Ekstrand Ragnar, M;
Grace, B;
Moura-Ramos, M;
Rautakallio-Hokkanen, S;
... Hammarberg, K; + view all
(2023)
Stimulating fertility awareness: the importance of getting the language right.
Human Reproduction Open
, 2023
(2)
, Article hoad009. 10.1093/hropen/hoad009.
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Abstract
While education about fertility is not intrinsically controversial, finding the right language to communicate the topic can be challenging, as there are several risks of unintended negative effects such as dissonance, anxiety, culpability, and stigma due to social norming. In this article, we share some of our learnings from promoting fertility awareness in the hope that they will inspire further debate and research on this topic. Starting from the ethical principles of respect for reproductive autonomy, avoiding harm (in terms of stigma or anxiety) and inclusivity, we have formulated five recommendations: (i) frame fertility awareness messages with (reproductive) autonomy in mind and aim to be inclusive of those who do not represent the traditional nuclear family; (ii) be empathetic and steer clear of blame; (iii) avoid scaremongering and offer a positive angle; (iv) give due consideration to both women and men in fertility health messaging; and (v) tailor the messages to particular contexts and audiences and develop resources in close collaboration with the target groups.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Stimulating fertility awareness: the importance of getting the language right |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1093/hropen/hoad009 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1093/hropen/hoad009 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited |
| Keywords: | fertility education, fertility awareness, reproductive health, inclusion, health communication |
| UCL classification: | UCL 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 > Reproductive Health |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10168734 |
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