The average age of first pregnancy in the old continent continues to grow: 29 years old in Europe1, over 31 in Italy1 where the fertility expressed by the 35-39 year olds has exceeded that of the 25-29 year olds2. Although the 90% of women are aware that with increasing age the chances of getting pregnant decrease, the 40% she doesn’t know exactly at what age her fertility starts to decline3. Less than 1 in 4 adolescents is informed3 that after the age of 30 the ovarian reserve tends to gradually decrease and with it the quality of the oocytes4.
With the purpose of turn the spotlight on how (little) young people know about fertility and the factors related to it, and to promote a discussion on policies att fill this gap of knowledge, Fertility Europe, the pan-European organization representing the main patient associations active in the fertility area, brought together representatives of institutions and experts in the field of Reproductive Health from five European countries in the virtual round table “Fertility Awareness in 2021: Educating the Younger Generations”, made with the support of Gedeon Richter.
From the meeting it emerged the urgent need for governments across Europe to put fertility at the center of educational policies, including it as a curricular subject in school programs on reproductive health. In particular, the experts shared the need to promote correct information on the trend of the age-related fertility, on the impact of individual behaviors, but also on the opportunities offered by fertility preservation medicine.
“The protection of reproductive health represents a fundamental aspect of life yet still largely undervalued. Teaching to take care of one’s fertility and offering equal access to the best treatments available to preserve it, are two key elements to allow, from a young age, to keep one’s fertility under control “, he claims Satu Rautakallio-Hokkanen, President of Fertility Europe.
“Infertility is constantly increasing in Italy, as in the rest of Europe (il 10% of the population suffer from problems related to fertility). The lack of knowledge of the factors affecting female and male fertility plays a decisive role. Young people are those to whom it is a priority to intervene, to avoid that little conscious choices can irreversibly compromise future fertility. In the context of fertility education, it is also necessary to inform the younger generations about the opportunities offered by medicine to preserve fertility effectively, so that the choice of having a child is made consciously and in the best possible conditions “, he explains. Enrico Papaleo, Head of the Birth Sciences Center, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital in Milan.
“Gedeon Richter is proud to promote opportunities for discussion to raise awareness among women, and not only, on the issue of fertility. Today’s event, which brought together some of the leading European experts on the subject, represented an extraordinary opportunity to turn the spotlight on fertility protection as a public health priority, for the benefit of future generations and the whole of society “, comments Maria Giovanna Labbate, Managing Director, Gedeon Richter Italia.