Stimulating fertility awareness: the importance of getting the language right

H Mertes; J Harper; J Boivin; M Ekstrand Ragnar; B Grace; M Moura-Ramos; S Rautakallio-Hokkanen; M Simopoulou; K Hammarberg; On Behalf Of The International Reproductive Health Education Collaboration Irhec

doi:10.1093/hropen/hoad009

Stimulating fertility awareness: the importance of getting the language right

Hum Reprod Open. 2023 Apr 2;2023(2):hoad009. doi: 10.1093/hropen/hoad009. eCollection 2023.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Philosophy and Moral Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
² EGA Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, UK.
³ Cardiff Fertility Studies Group, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
⁴ Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
⁵ Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health, Faculty of Population Health Sciences, UCL Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, UK.
⁶ Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
⁷ Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Behavioral Intervention, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
⁸ Fertility Europe, Brussels, Belgium.
⁹ Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
¹⁰ School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.

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.

Keywords: fertility awareness; fertility education; health communication; inclusion; reproductive health.

Publication types

Editorial