Are women having more fertility problems and why?

[William]

Due to fertility drugs and new technology (IVF) it seems women are having more multiples. However, why is it that with health care increasing in general and with people supposedly living longer and healthier lives than in the past, that women seem to be having more fertility problems? Or is that women are not having more fertility problems than they had in the past, it just seems to be that way?

 

[whatcha]

more women are doing something about fertility issues than beforei dont think the number has changed much it seems like it has because of all the medical advances

 

[William]

A lot of it is because women traditionally used to start giving birth at around 16-18, when you are much more fertile. With women now having careers, there is pressure to delay motherhood until the thirties, at which point fertility is already declining.Also some problems such as endometriosis get worse with every period, so whereas in the past you might have had only a few periods your whole life, due to numerous births and breastfeeding, these days you have most of your periods, and so the disease progresses. Endometriosis is a major cause of fertility problems.Also there will be some skewing in figures as with the solutions available women now identify and seek solutions for fertility, whereas in the past it might be a shameful secret, and with no medical solution you would just have to accept it.

 

[wiredlow]

i think it just seems that way due to the fact that it used to be that almost all women would end up married and with children relatively young (18,19, early 20s) Now so many women in that age range are taking bc of some sort to avoid being pregnant for many reasons.....not married.....wanting to move career forward before having children....in grad school......and so on. Having children in late 30s, early 40s has always been known to be more difficult.....its just that now more women are waiting til that age to get married or decide to have children......so it is harder. Children conceived at that age used to be the much younger "surprise" child that wasn't planned on, where the older children were conceived much younger. As always there are people that have fertility problems.....but now there are ways to get around it.....and sometimes that accidentally results in multiples. Before, those couples would either remain childless, or adopt.....or maybe at some point manage to end up being lucky and having a child