Women and Common Misconceptions about Reproductive Health

As many women of childbearing age prepare to take on that next step into creating new life, some may be uncertain about the benefits and risk associated with reproductive health. According to a recent study conducted by researchers from the Yale School of Medicine, the study showed that up to 50 percent of women in reproductive age admitted to never even broaching the subject of their reproductive health with a medical professional.

For their research, study authors examined data that was collected via an online survey of 1,000 women between the ages of 18 and 40. The survey was administered anonymously in March 2013 and represented women of all ethnic and geographic backgrounds within the United States. It asked questions regarding their knowledge, beliefs and practices regarding pregnancy, conception and basic information on reproductive health.

In fact, the researchers calculated that as many as 40 percent of the women admitted to having concerns over their fertility, 25 percent did not know about side-effects related to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), smoking, obesity or irregular menstrual cycles associated the potential to conceive and 20 percent did not know about the negative effects associated with aging. Fifty percent of the participants were also unaware of the benefits for taking multivitamins, folic acid or other nutritional supplements that could potentially decrease the risk of birth defects.

"We found that 40 percent of women in the survey believed that their ovaries continue to produce new eggs during reproductive years,' co-author Lubna Pal, associate professor in the section of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Yale, said according to the press release. "This misperception is of particular concern, especially so in a society where women are increasingly delaying pregnancy."

Study findings also showed that only 10 percent of women knew that the conception was more likely to occur before ovulation.

More information regarding the study can be found via the journal Fertility & Sterility.