Americans trust the internet more than a doctor when making family building decisions, survey reveals

Nearly 90 per cent of Americans trust the internet more than a doctor when making family building decision, researchers have found.

A new survey of US respondents, aged 18-44, has shown that when it comes to family building, there is lack of access to reliable and evidence-based information, with nearly 90 per cent reporting that they receive their information from the internet, social media, friends or family.

The findings have revealed that these sources of information are used 70 per cent more often than a doctor.

Moreover, 50 per cent of responders reported that they are delaying building a family due to lack of information and are also concerned about their own health or their partner’s health.

The study was conducted by the fertility and family building advisor Frame Fertility to examine the current state of the industry in the United States.

The platform surveyed 500 respondents about their current understanding of family building including the need for support as they navigate the complex and emotional journey of building a family.

The survey has found that the lack of support and information is impacting people on many levels, including their mental health, with 91 per cent reporting feeling some degree of anxiety about the prospect of starting a family and 82 per cent experiencing extreme anxiety.

Starting a family is of the utmost importance to Americans, with 85 per cent of respondents reporting that becoming a parent or expanding their family is the most important or one of the most important life goals they have, and of those, more than one-third  are actively trying to build or expand their family.

“We know that a majority of people want to have children, but are getting their fertility and family building information from sources that are at best confusing, and at worst, wrong or harmful,” said Jessica Bell van der Wal, CEO and founder of Frame Fertility.

“This study uncovered that over 93 per cent of people want to be proactive with their fertility and family building, providing a window for employers and health plans to engage with their younger audiences.

“It’s time to make this support part of the core offerings to prevent downstream crises, missed and incorrect diagnoses and unnecessary procedures.”

The recent judicial ruling restricting abortion care seems to have also changed people’s approach to family building, with almost half of people reporting that the recent overturning of Roe v Wade changed their family plans in some way.

Additionally, the survey has suggested that despite the recent popularity of fertility treatments, people in the US tend to be more likely to consider adoption as a family building option.

Adoption is the second most common method people have considered for building and/or expanding a family. One-third of people would consider using fertility treatments like egg freezing or IVF, and those numbers are even lower in some areas of the country.

Hassan Azar, executive advisor to EHIR, said: “This research reinforces the opportunity that employers and health plans have to provide meaningful guidance and support to individuals on the path to parenthood.

“The core of a well-constructed family building benefit should focus on providing trustworthy, evidenced-based, objective information and recommendations.

“Employers that seek to provide top-tier benefits programmes need to include comprehensive family building benefits for their workforce.”