Infertility threatening Europe's population

Jun 21 2005

A leading UK fertility expert is warning that infertility is set to double in Europe over the next decade and could threaten Europe's population.

According to Professor Bill Ledger from Sheffield University, one in seven couples now has trouble conceiving naturally, and this figure is set to rise to one in three.

At a European fertility conference Ledger said that women should be offered career breaks so they could have children younger, when they are more fertile.

He also explained that obesity and sex infections were contributing to increasing infertility, and the sustainability of the population of Europe is at risk because there are too few children being born.

Apparently the incidence of chlamydia, a sexually transmitted infection which carries a risk of infertility, has doubled over the last decade, and to date 6% of girls under the age of 19 are classed as obese.

An obese child is almost certainly destined to become an obese adult, and many women who are overweight do not ovulate efficiently.

He warns that the rise in sexually transmitted infections in young teenagers was likely to cause blocked fallopian tubes in some.

The problem does not just lie with women, as both the quality and quantity of sperm appeared to be in decline indicating a potential rise in male infertility.

Professor Ledger says the youth of today will become tomorrow's patients in infertility clinics.

Inflexible working hours and financial and career aspirations mean many women are putting off having a family until they are in their late 30s and early 40s, he said.

But he says it is not too late to reverse the trend, with many countries, such as those in Scandinavia, introducing policies to encourage women to have children earlier.

He suggested the UK also follow the lead of France by introducing tax relief and giving greater support to women who want to take career breaks to start a family.

Professor Ledger says women are simply not as fertile after 35, and it is easier and more straightforward to do whatever you can to encourage women to have children naturally, rather than waiting until IVF may be needed.

Dr Becky Lang, from the Association for the Study of Obesity, said the issue of fertility and obesity was often overlooked, and obesity can significantly reduce fertility as well as causing complications during pregnancy.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health said the government was committed to improving the health of the nation, reducing obesity, promoting healthy living, increasing physical activity and tackling sexually transmitted infections.