Why Delaying Pregnancy is Important

There is a growing consensus among American couples to delay marriage and pregnancy. According to the latest data culled from the National Center for Health Statistics by the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, the age at first birth of mothers in the US has increased from 25.2 years in the year 2009 to 26.3 years in 2014. It is also very interesting to note that from 2000 to 2014, the percentage of women aged 30-34 who gave birth to their first child rose from 16.5% to 21.1% while that of women aged 35 and above increased from 7.4% to 9.1%. An inclination to get pregnant at a later age is becoming evident. 

The decision to delay pregnancy is never taken lightly. It starts with the desire of women to have control over their bodies.

The norms of yesteryears that dictate that women should remain subservient to their husbands are becoming a thing of the past. Nowadays, a lot of women are making their presence felt in the workplace with careers on the rise. Meanwhile, women who are still in school, bound to student loans, have a pregnancy and family life farthest from their minds.  They want to get over schooling as quickly as possible, jumpstart their careers, and pay off their loans. 

With financial independence as the goal and the enticing comforts of life as a reward, couples are taking a hard look at the cost of raising children. The US Department of Agriculture estimates in its 2015 survey that it will take US$233,610.00 to raise a child until he reaches the age of 17. The cost estimate has not even taken into consideration yet the massive spike in inflation because of the pandemic and the ongoing war in Ukraine. For many couples, having children is a burden and risk that they are unwilling to be shackled with, but the delay of child-bearing reduces the likelihood of success when they are older. It is the reason why contraceptives have continued to retain their popularity and usefulness

by Barry Verkauf 

Sex and the Pandemic: Why Birth Rate is Declining

The COVID-19 pandemic was initially feared to bring about a baby boom. After being cooped up because of rigorous government stay-at-home protocols and with many employees preferring to work from home to avoid catching the virus, it was widely believed that American couples will turn up the heat in their bedrooms. Instead, the unexpected happened. The United States Census Bureau reported that the annual average birth per day took a 4.06% plunge at the end of December 2020. It meant that there were 417 fewer Americans born every day in 2020 compared to the previous year. The National Center for Health Statistics underscored that there is a continuing 2% average downtrend in the number of births for the past 6 years since 2015. Instead of helping, the pandemic has exacerbated the situation.  

At a time of economic insecurity brought on by the pandemic and other disturbing events around the world, couples are choosing to dig in. Harmeet Kaur of CNN highlights that the pandemic has brought in the open the government’s seeming lack of support for parents having difficulty with childcare or remote education for their children. Rearing up and providing for a child has become even more difficult and demanding for would-be parents. 

There is also the matter of choice. The pandemic has jolted couples to the importance of health and taking care of themselves first. With the possibility of death lurking just around the corner, life is to be savoured and personal goals realized first. Saving for that long-desired vacation and the ideal house or condominium unit to call one’s own has taken a new urgency. Any free time is spent with family members or together as a couple. As a result, the interest to have children is taking a backseat.   

According to the Guttmacher Institute, the government saves about US$15.2 Billion annually from its interventions on the prevention of unplanned pregnancies. With the COVID pandemic unwittingly aiding its efforts, the government must be grinning from ear to ear.

by Barry Verkauf

Is In Vitro Fertilization Permanently Changing the Face of Society?

In vitro fertilization (IVF), the most recognizable face of artificial reproduction techniques (ART), is radically changing the landscape of human reproduction. The small dash of petri dish magic has gone mainstream and is making its presence felt in the lives of ordinary people. Celebrities who have had successful and sometimes painful experiences with IVF are coming out in the open and increasing its popularity. Singer Celine Dion, stand-up comedian Amy Schumer, Courteney Cox of the sitcom Friends, Nicole Kidman, and Sarah Jessica Parker all spoke about their experiences with IVF. With the testimonials lending a genuine feel and authenticity to IVF, does it bode well for society as a whole?

(photo courtesy of Georges Biard)

For one, IVF is driving home the point that there is life after a diagnosis of infertility. For infertile couples, it has ramped up hope. Not that the experience of going through IVF cycles is ever easy. Actress Brooke Shields admitted that she almost gave up after going through multiple courses of IVF before the procedure succeeded. Hugh Jackman and his wife tried it twice without success. Fortune favors the bold, however. Those who find themselves caught in the unlucky grip of infertility sometimes need only a sprinkle of fortune, in the form of IVF, to feel extremely grateful.

With IVF, age-old biases on infertility are starting to come down. Infertile men and women can no longer be looked down upon as inferior. Men and women can usually become parents whenever they desire to do so. At the same time, they are free to prioritize their careers and personal goals before deciding to become parents. It is a brave, new world out there full of promise.

Finally, IVF is opening fresh avenues in the medical and scientific fields as we speak. New ideas on the prevention and treatment of genetic diseases are cropping up. With the advent of IVF, the concept of infertility, human reproduction and health will never be the same again. 

by Barry Verkauf