Fertility awareness among Chinese university students: scale development and cross-sectional study

BackgroundGlobal fertility rates are declining. In China, the total fertility rate dropped sharply from 5.59 in 1971 to 1.15 in 2021. Chinese university students often lack adequate fertility awareness, yet no validated instrument exists to assess this construct in this population, despite its recognized importance for informed reproductive decision-making.MethodsThe Fertility Awareness Scale f...