Study on Chinese patients’ views on endometriosis surgery and fertility preservation in the context of declining fertility

This study aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of patients with endometriosis regarding surgical treatment and fertility preservation. This cross-sectional study was conducted in China between October 2023 and May 2024 among patients with endometriosis. Their demographic characteristics and KAP regarding surgical treatment and fertility preservation were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The study included 697 patients diagnosed with endometriosis, with an average age of 33.00 ± 6.59 years. Of these participants, 356 (51.08%) reported no intention of conceiving in the future. The median knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 8 (0–16) (possible range: 0–32), 18 (16–19) (possible range: 6–30), and 1 (1–2) (possible range: 0–8), respectively. Correlation analysis showed that knowledge was correlated with practice (r = 0.2969, p < 0.001), shared decision-making (r = 0.2571, p < 0.001), and doctor-patient relationship (r = 0.2973, p < 0.001). Practice was correlated with shared decision-making (r = 0.235, p < 0.001) and doctor-patient relationship (r = 0.2002, p = 0.0011). Meanwhile, there was also a correlation between shared decision-making and doctor-patient relationship (r = 0.93, p < 0.001). However, attitude was not correlated with any of the other factors. Patients with endometriosis exhibited inadequate knowledge, moderate attitudes, and inactive practices concerning surgical treatment and fertility preservation. Enhancing education and promoting shared decision-making may improve patient engagement in surgical and fertility-related decisions. Not applicable.