Perception and Willingness of Nigerian Nurses to Utilize Assisted Reproductive Technologies

Background: Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) comprise a set of diverse interventions that have been developed to remedy the burden of infertility across the world. Understanding how health professionals perceive this concept is crucial to improving its wide acceptance and utilization amongst the populace without bias. Also, due to the limited literature on this concept in the Sub-Saharan African region, this study was designed to understand nurses' perceptions and willingness to use ARTs at a tertiary hospital in Ibadan, Nigeria. Methods: The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional research design, and self-structured questionnaires were used to gather data from female nurses in Adeoyo Maternity Teaching Hospital, Yemetu, Ibadan. A convenience sampling technique was used to select 114 participants; 100 questionnaires were retrieved and analyzed. Analysis of data was done using descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test. Results: The research revealed a positive perception of the majority of the respondents towards ARTs. It was also observed that the majority of the respondents were negatively inclined towards utilizing third-party ART techniques. The study further revealed that access to information, religion, and lack of interest, amongst other factors, strongly influenced their perceptions, and that there was no significant relationship between the level of education of the female nurses and their willingness to utilize ARTs. Conclusion: Effective enlightenment programs are necessary to ensure that ARTs have a wider reach. Hence, the board of nursing and education boards should ensure the inclusion of ARTs in continuing education programs and school curricula for nurses.