Infertility Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs of College Students in Grenada

The knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of college students in Grenada about infertility were assessed using a paper-based survey. The target population was students who attended the only college located on the island of Grenada. Five hundred and eight college students over the age of 16 out of the 1,946 students enrolled in the college at the time of the survey participated in this study with females comprising 65.7% (n = 334). The main research outcome measures for this study were to determine the level of knowledge of Grenadian college students on the causes of infertility as well as their knowledge of possible treatment options. Overall, while there was a moderate level of knowledge among both males and females with regards to the risk factors that may cause infertility, over 73% of the students believed that infertility may be caused by God’s will and approximately 58% believed in the power of prayer to treat infertility. While a greater proportion of female students answered more questions correctly in comparison to their male counterparts, there was a notable lack of basic knowledge among all Grenadian college students about the causes of infertility with the overall perception that women are more likely to become infertile due to any number of causes that are of equal risk to both men and women. Further, this survey found that there are greater stigmas attached to male infertility than to female infertility. Education programs and community support groups are recommended to increase knowledge about the causes of infertility as well as decrease the stigma associated with this condition.