Can men be trusted in population-based surveys to report couples’ medical care for infertility?
Abstract Background Men are usually excluded from surveys on reproductive health as some works have cast doubts on their ability to accurately report information on reproduction. Recent papers challenged this viewpoint, arguing that the quality of men’s reports depends strongly on use of an appropri...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2018-10-01
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| Series: | BMC Medical Research Methodology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12874-018-0566-y |
| _version_ | 1818502986207330304 |
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| author | Soraya Belgherbi Elise de La Rochebrochard |
| author_facet | Soraya Belgherbi Elise de La Rochebrochard |
| author_sort | Soraya Belgherbi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Men are usually excluded from surveys on reproductive health as some works have cast doubts on their ability to accurately report information on reproduction. Recent papers challenged this viewpoint, arguing that the quality of men’s reports depends strongly on use of an appropriate study design. We aimed to explore the relevance of evaluating couples’ use of medical care for infertility based on men’s interviews in a population-based survey. Methods The study was based on the last French sexual and reproductive health study (Fecond) conducted by phone interviews among a population-based sample of 2863 men and 4629 women aged 20–49 years. Results Among respondents who had ever tried to have a child, the use of infertility medical care by couples (i.e. by the respondents and/or their partners) within the previous 15 years was 16% (95%CI 14 to 18%) based on men’s reports and 17% (95%CI 15 to 18%) based on women’s reports (p = 0.43). Men’s and women’s reports were remarkably concordant on most items (infertility duration, treatment). The main discrepancy concerned male medical checkup, which was reported much more often by male respondents than female respondents (86% vs. 57%, p < 0.001 for sperm analysis, 56% vs. 27%, p < 0.001 for male genital examination). Conclusions It is time to trust men to report couples’ infertility medical care in reproductive surveys, as they provide information remarkably concordant with that provided by women. Conversely, women may poorly report the infertility checkups of their male partner. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T21:17:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6251942880ac482b9c01d3421ae87f3c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2288 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T21:17:41Z |
| publishDate | 2018-10-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Research Methodology |
| spelling | doaj.art-6251942880ac482b9c01d3421ae87f3c2022-12-22T01:33:14ZengBMCBMC Medical Research Methodology1471-22882018-10-011811910.1186/s12874-018-0566-yCan men be trusted in population-based surveys to report couples’ medical care for infertility?Soraya Belgherbi0Elise de La Rochebrochard1Université Paris-Saclay, Univ. Paris-Sud, UVSQ, CESP, INSERMUniversité Paris-Saclay, Univ. Paris-Sud, UVSQ, CESP, INSERMAbstract Background Men are usually excluded from surveys on reproductive health as some works have cast doubts on their ability to accurately report information on reproduction. Recent papers challenged this viewpoint, arguing that the quality of men’s reports depends strongly on use of an appropriate study design. We aimed to explore the relevance of evaluating couples’ use of medical care for infertility based on men’s interviews in a population-based survey. Methods The study was based on the last French sexual and reproductive health study (Fecond) conducted by phone interviews among a population-based sample of 2863 men and 4629 women aged 20–49 years. Results Among respondents who had ever tried to have a child, the use of infertility medical care by couples (i.e. by the respondents and/or their partners) within the previous 15 years was 16% (95%CI 14 to 18%) based on men’s reports and 17% (95%CI 15 to 18%) based on women’s reports (p = 0.43). Men’s and women’s reports were remarkably concordant on most items (infertility duration, treatment). The main discrepancy concerned male medical checkup, which was reported much more often by male respondents than female respondents (86% vs. 57%, p < 0.001 for sperm analysis, 56% vs. 27%, p < 0.001 for male genital examination). Conclusions It is time to trust men to report couples’ infertility medical care in reproductive surveys, as they provide information remarkably concordant with that provided by women. Conversely, women may poorly report the infertility checkups of their male partner.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12874-018-0566-ySurvey methodologyRespondentsFranceMaleFemaleInfertility |
| spellingShingle | Soraya Belgherbi Elise de La Rochebrochard Can men be trusted in population-based surveys to report couples’ medical care for infertility? BMC Medical Research Methodology Survey methodology Respondents France Male Female Infertility |
| title | Can men be trusted in population-based surveys to report couples’ medical care for infertility? |
| title_full | Can men be trusted in population-based surveys to report couples’ medical care for infertility? |
| title_fullStr | Can men be trusted in population-based surveys to report couples’ medical care for infertility? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Can men be trusted in population-based surveys to report couples’ medical care for infertility? |
| title_short | Can men be trusted in population-based surveys to report couples’ medical care for infertility? |
| title_sort | can men be trusted in population based surveys to report couples medical care for infertility |
| topic | Survey methodology Respondents France Male Female Infertility |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12874-018-0566-y |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sorayabelgherbi canmenbetrustedinpopulationbasedsurveystoreportcouplesmedicalcareforinfertility AT elisedelarochebrochard canmenbetrustedinpopulationbasedsurveystoreportcouplesmedicalcareforinfertility |