Delaying Parenthood- Wake Up Call Needed in UK

Many women in the UK are delaying conception...the average age that married women have their first child is now above thirty. And while infertility treatments can be very successful they are not a miracle cure, especially in cases of advanced maternal age. Experts are calling for educational efforts through schools on fertility in conjunction with sex education. Mark Hamilton, MD, former chair of the British Fertility Society, believes that the public is uninformed about fertility, even those who are well-educated. Adding to the issue is the demographic profile in the UK. Much of the population consists of older people who are retired or near retirement and there is a shortage of young people. While keeping older people in the workforce longer would be helpful, educating young people about the risks of waiting to start of family would also be beneficial.

Susan Seenan of Infertility UK agrees that more education is needed for the general public. She states the only emphasis currently for younger women is contraception. "We spend our twenties trying not to get pregnant and our thirties trying very hard to get pregnant," she said. If women choose to put off having a family it should be with a full understanding of the risks, she added.