What will fertility and infertility look like for the Millennial Generation? What do 
they believe about fertility and what is their prognosis for infertility?
I just read a fascinating survey and report titled Infertility in America 2015 by Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey. They surveyed 1,000 adults in the US between the ages 25-40, plus 200 men or women actively trying to get pregnant or expecting to try within the next five years. The results were fascinating.
The survey and report covered many topics and is well worth the read, but I thought you would find the following findings interesting.
The Bad News
Millennials are defined as the generation born between 1981 and 1997. This generation is waiting longer to have children and is overly optimistic of their chances of getting pregnant in their mid 30s.
The age a woman has her first child has significantly increase since 2006 when the average age was 25. Most Millennials now report that their preferred age to have their first child is early to mid 30s.
Almost seventy percent believe that advances in science mean that they don’t need to worry about infertility. Oh, if only that were so!
The Good News
While science and technology is not a magic bullet to wipe out all fertility issues, there have been some significant advances in the last several years.
It is now possible for OB/GYNs to do a blood test that will assess a woman’s egg supply. It does not test the quality of her eggs, just the reserves. You can learn more about this test in this Creating a Family Radio Show.
Egg freezing is also now available making it possible for a woman to postpone pregnancy using her own eggs. Survival rates for frozen eggs is now approaching 90%. Seventy-three percent of Millennials said that would consider using cryopreservation.
Listen Up Employers
The cost of fertility treatment remains a big obstacle to treatment. The RMA New Jersey Infertility in America Survey found 58% of respondents said that cost was the reason they would not seek fertility treatment.
More than two-thirds (68%) of respondents said they would change jobs to ensure they had infertility coverage. This number jumps to 90% among those who have experienced fertility issues.
As more Millennials wait to have children, employers may well be forced to offer this benefit in order to keep good talent. Finally!
Thoughts? Does any of this surprise you? I was hoping that we were making more progress in educating this generation about the dangers of waiting too long to start a family.
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