Attitudes about Childlessness and Infertility Treatments: A Comparison of Turkish and American University Students

• Published in: Journal of comparative family studies 2015-09, Vol.46 (3), p.373-402
• Main Authors: Koropeckyj-Cox, Tanya, Çopur, Zeynep
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age; Childlessness; College students; Fertility; Human reproduction; Infertility treatments; Men; Parenthood; PARENTING; Statistical significance; Universities
• ISSN: 0047-2328; 1929-9850
• DOI: 10.3138/jcfs.46.3.373

Studies of contemporary attitudes about childlessness and infertility have focused mainly on highly industrialized countries, with less attention to developing countries like Turkey. This project explored attitudes about childlessness and infertility treatments and their interrelations among university students, who are often the forerunners of new attitudes and social change, in Turkey (N= 850) and the United States (Florida; N = 761). Turkish students, especially men, reported more negative attitudes about permanent childlessness and reported more positive attitudes about ethics and availability of infertility treatments. Students in Florida had more favorable attitudes toward childlessness and supported broader social access to infertility treatments (e.g., for those who were unmarried or who had chosen to delay childbearing). Women in both samples generally reported more positive attitudes about childlessness and the ethics and availability of infertility treatments than men. In addition, Turkish students who were female, from urban areas, or who aspired to a doctoral education reported more positive attitudes about childlessness than others. Regression analyses of pooled data confirmed persistent gender and country differences. In both samples, positive attitudes about childlessness were correlated with support for broader social access to infertility treatments. The results suggest that infertility treatments are viewed as a means for avoiding childlessness by those with traditional perspectives, but are seen as a mechanism for allowing for broader social access to parenthood and greater choice about reproduction among those with less traditional viewpoints. Études sur les attitudes contemporaines à propos de l'absence d'enfant et de l'infertilité se sont concentrées principalement sur les pays industrialisés, avec moins d'attention sur les pays en développement comme la Turquie. Comme les étudiants universitaires sont souvent précurseurs de nouvelles idées et de changements sociaux, ce projet a exploré les attitudes d'étudiants en Turquie (N = 850) et aux États-Unis (Floride; N = 761), sur l'absence d'enfant et le traitement de l'infertilité ainsi que la corrélation entre ces deux sujets. Les étudiants turcs, en particulier les hommes, témoignent plus d'attitudes négatives concernant l'absence d'enfant permanente et sont plus positif sur l'éthique et la disponibilité des traitements de l'infertilité. Les étudiants en Floride sont plus favorables à l