|
 In a survey of more than 1,200 university students, more than 90
percent said they saw kids in their future, but less than half could
correctly identify the age when a woman's fertility declines and
even fewer knew when a man's fertility drops off, the study authors
report in the journal Human Fertility.
"Our study shows that young men and women overwhelmingly want to
become parents one day. However, there are many other things they
want to achieve in life," said lead author Dr. Eugenie Prior of the
Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority in Melbourne.
"They want to advance in their career, be financially stable, have
traveled, and be in a stable relationship before they have children,
which does not leave a lot of time before their fertility starts to
decline," she told Reuters Health by email.
Several factors affect fertility and reproduction, including
parental age, smoking and obesity. Among those, a woman's age is
often the most important factor in determining the chance of
conception, the study authors note. Female fertility can begin
declining between ages 30 and 34, and speeds up at ages 35-39, and
male fertility can begin to decline after 40, and drops markedly at
ages 45-49.
Morever, assisted reproductive techniques (ART) are not a guaranteed
means of turning back the clock. Based on current evidence, the
chance of a successful pregnancy after one IVF cycle in a woman over
age 40 are roughly 5 percent, compared with 21 percent at ages
30-34, the study team points out.
"It's so important that young people start talking about their goals
and aspirations for parenthood, but also that they have the
necessary knowledge about the limits of their fertility so they can
make an informed decision about when they start a family," Prior
said. "This will give them the best chance for achieving their goals
for parenthood."
Prior and colleagues surveyed 1,215 University of Melbourne students
about their intentions and expectations for future parenthood,
knowledge about fertility, and preferred sources of fertility
information.
Of the students who said they wanted children, about 75 percent
wanted two or more and about half wanted to have their last child at
age 35 or older.
[to top of second column] |
Some 75 percent underestimated the impact of female age on
fertility, and 95 percent underestimated the impact of male age.
"In developed countries, the median age of women at first childbirth
has been rising steadily over the past three decades," said Celia
Chan of the University of Hong Kong, who wasn't involved in the
study.
"Family planning has long emphasized pregnancy prevention such as
safer sex, contraception and prevention of sexually transmitted
infections," she said by email. "It is also essential to include
education on fertility protection."
Although some schools incorporate these messages in high school, the
future can seem too far off, said Andrew Shelling of the University
of Auckland in New Zealand, who also wasn't involved in the study.
"This is a difficult message to make clear when the reality of
delaying fertility is really years ahead," he said in an email.
"Perhaps increasing general knowledge is a possible way forward."
When asked their preferred sources of information about fertility,
the Australian students said they most often consulted the internet
and family doctors. Roughly 90 percent also said they'd feel
comfortable if their doctor raised the topic of fertility with them,
prompting the study authors to recommend that general practitioners
incorporate these conversations into routine patient visits.
"I think it's important to note that young men are as keen to have
children as young women," said Sara Holton of Monash University in
Melbourne, who wasn't involved in the study.
"Fertility and childbearing are often viewed as only relevant to
women or as 'women's issues,' so it is good that men have been
included," she said by email. The next steps should "assist people
to make informed decisions about childbearing."
SOURCE: https://bit.ly/2vwk18a Human Fertility, online July 30,
2018.
[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
