Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Despite the rapid increase in the proportion of unmarried women in the Chinese population, little is known about their sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and well-being. The aim of this survey is to collect data on SRH knowledge and needs, past care-seeking experiences, fertility goals and attitudes towards fertility technology among unmarried women in four megacities in China where singlehood is prominent among women of reproductive age. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This multi-centre cross-sectional survey, Survey of Unmarried women on Reproductive health and Fertility (SURF), aims to recruit 6000 eligible women, with 1500 from each study site. Eligibility criteria include: (1) women; (2) aged 25-40 years; (3) currently unmarried (never married, divorced or widowed); and (4) reside in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen or Guangzhou metropolitan areas. Quota sampling is used to ensure the age strata in the final sample correspond to the age distribution from the latest Chinese census. Data are currently being collected through referral recruitment and a self-administered questionnaire available on the mobile devices and computers of participants. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: SURF has been approved by the Biomedical Ethics Committee of Peking University (institutional review board (IRB) number: IRB00001052-24040). Each participant receives comprehensive information about the objectives, procedure and data handling of the survey before proceeding to the questionnaire. Participants are also provided with the contact information of the principal investigator in case they have questions regarding the survey. Written informed consent is obtained before data collection starts. Participation is anonymous and no personal identifiers are collected. Findings from this survey will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and at scientific conferences.