Factors Associated With Willingness To Donate Oocytes Among Female Students In A Tertiary Institution

Background: The shortage of oocyte donors in the face of increasing demand for infertility treatment globally has become a concern for stakeholders involved in assisted reproduction. Local research on oocyte donation is relatively limited in Ghana and tends to neglect female university students who constitute a large donor group for oocyte donation.Objective: This research sought to investigate the knowledge and attitude of female university students towards oocyte donation in assisted reproduction.Method: A questionnaire-based, cross sectional study was conducted among 295 female undergraduate students. The outcome variable was willingness to donate an oocyte or not. Factors investigated were socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge and attitude towards oocyte donation. Knowledge items were measured on a binary scale, where a correct response scored ‘1’ and an incorrect response scored ‘0’. Knowledge was rated as either high (score >3) or low (score £3). Attitude items were measured on a 5-point Likert scale and rated as positive (score >24) or negative (score £24). Descriptive and inferential statistics were computed with STATA version 15, assuming statistical significance at p<0.05.Results: Majority of the students, 278 (94.2%), were Christians and had a low level of knowledge about oocyte donation (61%). Fifty-two percent and 44% of students showed a positive attitude towards oocyte donation and were willing to donate oocytes respectively. Being a Christian [AOR = 0.24, 95% CI: 0.07-0.92], spending between GhC500-1000 a month [AOR = 2.47, 95% CI: 1.48-4.11] and having a positive attitude towards oocyte donation [AOR = 2.12, 95% CI: 1.30-3.34] were associated with willingness to donate oocytes.Conclusion: The low levels of knowledge among the female university students highlights the need for information regarding oocyte donation in assisted reproduction. Existing barriers can be addressed through further research, public education and by encouraging dialogue between health authorities, academia and religious leaders could be potentially beneficial in addressing the plight of infertile couples.

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