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Abstract

This study examines the understanding of biomedical terminology of assisted reproduction (AR) by patients in a real context. From a gender perspective and with an empirical approach, the degree of familiarity and understanding of terminology among Spanish, English and German-speaking women treated at the IVF-Life clinic is analysed. Using a multilingual questionnaire, the relationship between previous exposure to information content, socio-demographic variables and clinical experience, and the subjective perception of understanding versus actual knowledge is assessed. The results show a significant discrepancy between dimensions, with a tendency to overestimate the degree of understanding and recurrent confusion of key terms, even among patients with a high level of education or previous experience. This mismatch emphasises the need to review the informative discourses from criteria of clarity and communicative adequacy, following the principles of plain language, in order to promote a more effective and inclusive reproductive health literacy.