Bangkok: Misleading information about women’s fertility has been spreading globally, suggesting that women today face more infertility issues than in the past due to environmental toxins, electromagnetic pollution, and medication use. However, experts argue that the decline in childbirth rates is primarily due to lifestyle choices rather than an increase in infertility.
According to Thai News Agency, data from the United Nations World Population Prospects indicates a significant shift in childbearing patterns. In 1965, women typically had about five children during their lifetime, whereas by 2021, this number had decreased to 2.3 children. This trend is observed in both the United States and Thailand, with American women’s childbearing rates dropping from 2.9 in 1965 to 1.7 in 2021, and Thai women’s rates declining from 6.2 to 1.2 in the same period.
Experts highlight several factors influencing this shift, including enhanced educational and career opportunities for women, advances in birth control, reduced infant mortality rates, and increasing childcare costs. These societal changes have led women to choose to have fewer children rather than facing increased infertility.
A report from the World Health Organization in 2023 revealed that infertility affects 1 in 6 people globally. Infertility in women can result from issues with the ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes, and the endocrine system, while male infertility is often linked to low testosterone and genetic or hormonal abnormalities affecting sperm production and motility. Additional factors such as age, lifestyle choices, and environmental exposures also contribute to infertility risks in both genders.
Despite concerns, specialists like Eve C. Feinberg from Northwestern University affirm that there is no evidence showing a rise in infertility among women today compared to the past. While birth rates are declining, this is attributed to women having their first child later in life due to societal changes. Research from the U.S. National Bureau of Health Statistics supports this, showing stable infertility rates among American women between 1995 and 2019.
Overall, research indicates that infertility rates have not significantly changed globally over recent decades, except in regions such as Africa and South Asia where increases have been noted. The primary contributor to infertility in modern women is late marriage, with older women who have never been pregnant being significantly more likely to experience infertility than their younger counterparts.