The research was conducted to evaluate the knowledge, opinions and attitudes of senior midwifery students regarding fertility and having children.
Method: This study is descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational in nature, and was conducted between January and May 2023 using an online survey with 407 university students in their final year of midwifery programs in Turkey. The data was obtained with a personal information form and the “Attitudes Toward Fertility and Childbearing Scale (AFCS)”.

The average age of the students participating in the research is 22,28±1,67 and 96,1% are single. 80,6% of the students stated that they planned to have children in the future and 74,4% stated that they planned to have their first child between the ages of 25-29. 38.6% of the students correctly identified the 20-24 age range as the most fertile age for women, while only 5.2% correctly identified the 25-29 age range when female fertility begins to decline. Again, 76,9% of the participants stated that they wanted to have children with assisted reproductive techniques in case of possible infertility. In the study, the mean scores for the sub-dimensions of the AFCS “1. Importance of Fertility for the Future”; “2. Viewing Having Children as an Obstacle” and “3. Expectations and Planning” are (1)41,20 ± 10,91; (2)37,91±9,05 and (3)22,81±2,67 respectively. Cronbach’s Alpha internal reliability coefficient was found to be (1)0,91; (2)0,91; (3)0,77 in the sub-dimensions respectively.

In the study, it was determined that midwifery students’ views and attitudes towards fertility and having children were positive. However, it has been observed that the information regarding the change in female fertility according to age is not sufficient. It is recommended that midwifery students, whose profession is of paramount importance in fertility regulation, receive more emphasis on fertility awareness in their education, and that more research be conducted on this topic.

Burcu Tuncer Yılmaz

Özlem Koç

Yasemin Hamlacı Başkaya