{"id":52735,"date":"2019-10-23T15:45:11","date_gmt":"2019-10-23T13:45:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ivi.uk\/?p=52735"},"modified":"2024-02-26T11:45:36","modified_gmt":"2024-02-26T09:45:36","slug":"rise-infertility-rates-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ivi.uk\/blog\/rise-infertility-rates-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"Rise in infertility rates in the UK"},"content":{"rendered":"

Several recent reports have confirmed what many people have suspected for some time: that infertility rates in the UK are rising<\/strong>. This is not a new phenomenon, there has been a dramatic increase in infertility over the last 60 years or so. We are not alone in this, in fact, the rise in infertility is reflected throughout the developed world.<\/p>\n

Is this a purely social phenomenon resulting from the fact that better education and career opportunities have led to women delaying motherhood until their mid-30s when fertility starts to decline? Or are there more complex factors at play? Are infertility rates in the UK rising<\/strong> because of environmental factors taking a toll on sperm quality? And what can individuals, who may not even be sure that they want to become parents in the future, do to keep their options open by protecting their fertility?<\/p>\n

What is the evidence for rising infertility in the UK?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A report published by the Office for National Statistics in August 2019 confirmed that the birth rate in England and Wales had reached a new low during 2018. The report shows that from a high point of 20.5 live births per thousand population in 1947, the 2018 rate has decreased to 11.1 births. The ONS says that the remarkable decrease could be driven by both an aging population and falling fertility rates.<\/p>\n

Their conclusions are echoed in a major IVI study into declining male fertility<\/a>. IVI fellow Dr. Ashley Tiegs<\/a> led a study of just under 120,000 men, focusing on the total mobile sperm count, which is the most significant factor in the likelihood of conception. She and her team found that the percentage of men who are at risk of needing fertility treatment has increased quite dramatically from 12.4% in 2004 to 21.3% in 2017, almost twice the percentage in just over a decade.<\/p>\n

Social changes leading to the rise in infertility<\/strong><\/h2>\n

We hear a lot about social changes being the reason for the rise in infertility<\/strong>. Often cited is the fact that women have more freedom to choose between career and family, plus the social pressures that lead many of them to delay parenthood until they have established a career, financial stability, and have found the right partner. As a result, many women delay motherhood until their mid to late 30s, and it is well known that fertility starts to decline around the early \u201930s, decreasing gradually until the early \u201940s, after which most women have a poor fertility prognosis.<\/p>\n

There is no doubt that these social factors are significant, but there is another reason for the rise of infertility, and this is the widespread decline in sperm quality. A study by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem revealed that sperm counts for men have more than halved over the last 40 years. And the social factors that affect women also apply to men. They too are waiting longer to have children, and there is growing evidence that as men age, the quality of their sperm declines. Their \u2018best before\u2019 date is around the age of 40.<\/p>\n

Could environmental factors be the cause?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There is a variety of causes of male infertility but in the absence of any specific medical reason, the spotlight is increasingly on environmental and lifestyle factors. Heat, chemicals and toxins can cause a deterioration in the quality of sperm. Specific concerns include:<\/p>\n