Is Infertility Becoming More Common?

In a recent video for the Infertility Awareness Association of South Africa, Dr Paul le Roux from Cape Fertility answered this question in more detail. Dr le Roux is a well-known fertility expert, dedicated to advancing fertility care, and is not only the CEO of Cape Fertility and the current President of the African Federation of Fertility Societies, but is also a Past-President of the South African Society for Reproductive Medicine (SASREG).

Dr le Roux says that it is known that about one in seven couples worldwide experience infertility. That is about 15% of the population, which means infertility is a very common problem. As such, it is not surprising that fertility clinics have been experiencing an increase in fertility patients over the last years.

Here are some of the common reasons.

Advanced maternal age

A modern phenomenon is that many more women are delaying childbearing until they are older, and this has a huge effect on the number of women that need fertility treatment. The reason for this is that as women get older – and particularly from around age 37 – they are much more likely to need fertility treatment to fall pregnant. This is because the quality of women’s eggs decreases as they get older, which makes it harder to fall pregnant naturally and without medical assistance.

The reality is that three or four decades ago, the average age at which most women had children was 21. Now, in most developed countries, the average age at which women have children is around 30. So, in general, as more women are delaying childbearing, it will certainly lead to more women needing fertility treatment.

In fact, in around one in three couples that require fertility treatment, the age of the female partner is over 35.

In addition to lower egg quality, women also tend to have more health issues as they become older. They have had a longer time to be exposed to sexually transmitted infections, a known cause of infertility, and certain gynaecological conditions, for example, endometriosis and fibroids, also known causes of infertility, may get worse with time.

So why do women delay childbearing? Many women wish to further their careers, and if they study professionally, it may take many years before they’ve completed their studies, set up their careers, and are ready to have a family.

Another interesting factor related to this trend is the high rate of divorce. It means that many people have a second relationship when they are older, and this can also make it more likely that they will need fertility treatment.

Male fertility challenges

Some men also contribute to the increase in the number of couples that need fertility treatment.

Because men’s fertility is not as affected by age as it is for women, men in relationships often fail to see the urgency of having children by a certain age. So, many women stay in relationships for a long time, but eventually, when they start another relationship, they are quite a bit older and more likely to experience challenges in achieving a pregnancy.

While men do not experience the same drop in fertility with age that women do, there are also reasons why their fertility may decline as they get older.

Certainly, for men over the age of 50, there is an increase in DNA fragmentation in the sperm which can affect fertility. We also know from studies over the last 40 years that global sperm counts have been decreasing at an alarming rate, and this may be due to many different environmental factors. Some possibilities are pesticides affecting sperm, certain compounds and plastic oestrogen in drinking water, and lifestyle choices like alcohol and smoking.

New types of fertility patients

Another important factor that is also affecting the number of patients at fertility clinics is the fact that certain groups of patients that did not seek fertility treatment in the past are now accessing fertility care – some examples include single women or men, same sex couples, and patients needing gamete donations, which are sperm or egg donations, or surrogacy.

In addition, many patients are now also coming to freeze their eggs because they’re concerned about their future fertility potential. This is particularly true for women who are not yet ready to start a family, or cancer patients whose fertility may be affected by the cancer or its treatment.

Do you need to visit a fertility clinic?

The issues briefly discussed above are among the main reasons for an increase in the numbers of couples seeking fertility treatment worldwide. However, there are also many other possible causes of infertility, and it is important to speak to a specialist with the right expertise, experience and equipment, to determine the exact cause of your infertility as a couple.

Once the exact cause of your infertility as a couple has been established, the right treatment can be provided. The good news is that these days, in the vast majority of infertility cases, there is a treatment available that can help couples to have a healthy baby.

If you are concerned about your fertility, it is highly recommended that you consult with a fertility specialist as soon as possible.

If you would like to meet one of our world-renowned fertility specialists, simply contact us by clicking here…

At Cape Fertility, we value each individual patient and we look forward to providing you with individualised and personalised care, affordable quality fertility treatment, and higher success rates at our purpose-built premises in the beautiful city of Cape Town.