P-164: Comparing the Socio-Cultural Beliefs of Recipients and Non-Recipients of Assisted Reproductive Donation Procedures

Background: Using assisted reproductive donation procedures increase hope in infertile couples. However large part of the world population do not recognize these procedures. One of the important steps in recognition of infertile couples’ problem, whose only therapeutic option is using assisted reproductive donation procedures, is investigating their Socio-cultural Beliefs about these procedures in line with other infertile couples. This study therefore aimed to compare the Socio-cultural Beliefs of recipients and non-recipients of assisted reproductive donation procedures in 2010 in Mashhad, Iran. Materials and Methods: This descriptive- comparative study was carried out on two groups of infertile couples with primary infertility (50 recipients, 180 non-recipients) using convenience sampling at the Montaserieh Infertility Center in Mashhad. Data was collected using demographic and knowledge questionnaire,also valid(α=0.887) and reliable self-structured questionnaires to measure Socio-cultural Beliefs about donation procedures, and data was analyzed using statistical tests including t test, Mann-Whitney,one-way ANOVA. Results: The mean score of socio-cultural beliefs in recipients and non-recipients women was 70.2 ± 9.5 and 66.9 ± 12.0, and in recipients and non-recipients men was 73.7 ± 12.2 and 65.9 ± 12.0, respectively(percentage). There was a significant difference between socio-cultural beliefs of recipients and non-recipients men (P=0.006), that is, men recipients had more positive socio-cultural beliefs compared with non-recipients men towards donation procedures. The mean score of knowledge in recipients and non-recipients women was 11.1 ± 4.1 and 9.0 ± 4.2 and in recipients and non-recipients men was 11.8 ± 3.6 and 9.7 ± 3.9, respectively. There was also a significant difference between two groups in terms of their knowledge about donation procedures in recipients and non-recipients men (p=0.020) and recipients and non-recipients women (p=0.032). Conclusion: Considering the results, promotion of knowledge and socio-cultural beliefs at the community level may endorse positive attitudes in infertile couples which could provide appropriate bases for the decision made by infertile couples in an environment free from tension and fear of the wrong beliefs.