Assisted reproductive technologies like in vitro fertilization can help expand families, but regulations aren’t consistent across states.
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A pending bill in Colorado would disclose donor information to children and their parents and set limits on how many families can use a single individual’s egg or sperm.
Fertility rates declined among women of all ages in the UK at the start of the pandemic – but have been picking up again, particularly among older mothers.
Some people may consider IVF add-ons with the hope of improving their chances of having a baby.
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Some of the most persistent myths about COVID-19 vaccination have been false rumours that it can affect fertility in men or women. There has never been any evidence to support this misinformation.
A young woman in Melbourne in December 2021.
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Around 10% of women stop having periods and see the end of their fertile years much earlier than expected.
With the holiday season approaching, people wait to receive a COVID-19 vaccination in Montréal as the pandemic continues in Canada and around the world.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
The provision of better health services and social grants has aided rural women’s progress in South Africa, but there are still tremendous needs to be met.
Michelle Wise, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
COVID vaccines have no effect on fertility, do not impact the chance of a miscarriage, and are safe and effective while pregnant. Here’s what the science shows.
The limit has been extended from ten years to up to 55 years.
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Frozen eggs will be stored for up to 55 years in the UK.
Louise Brown, who was the world’s first baby to be born from in vitro fertilization (IVF) in 1978, poses with equipment used in early IVF treatments.
Daniel Leal-Olivas/ Getty
Naomi Cahn, University of Virginia e Dena Sharp, University of California College of the Law, San Francisco
An unknown number of people have lost their dreams of parenthood because of storage disasters at fertility clinics. These experts note poor government oversight and the need for stronger regulation.
The story of Walatta Petros, a 17th-century Ethiopian noblewoman who was later made a saint, shows that Christianity has a complex history with abortion and contraception.
A 1721 manuscript/Wikimedia Commons
Abortion and contraception were quite common among premodern Christians, who also celebrated women’s celibacy as superior to marriage and childbearing.
Women have many more work and educational choices than previous generations, which affect their decisions about having children.
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Economic opportunities, social norms and expanding education and employment options for many women help explain why U.S. fertility has slowed in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Men largely determine the fertility rate in Nigeria. These men are drumming for dancers at a festival.
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The Nigerian government must design more interventions to improve education, employment opportunities and the economy in order to control the country’s population growth.
This is the first study to investigate how chemical exposure impacts the number of eggs a woman has.
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Warnings of an end to human sperm production have been making headlines recently, now with the added threat of shrinking penises. Is this science or sensationalism?
Anthropologue et démographe, professeur émérite au Muséum national d’histoire naturelle et conseiller de la direction de l'INED, Muséum national d’histoire naturelle (MNHN)
Director Nurture Fertility, The Fertility Parnership and Reader/Associate Professor in Reproductive Medicine and Surgery, University of Nottingham, University of Nottingham