From IVI, as a worldwide reference in reproductive medicine, we have carried out the I Social Barometer of the perception of Spanish women about motherhood. In this first installment we are going to talk about the data obtained on why we are experiencing a delay in motherhood due to the social, political and economic context that we currently live in.
Maternity and fertility under review
To carry out this study at a national level -which we have also carried out in the United Kingdom and France- we have joined forces with GFK, a leading company in market analysis. The survey has been carried out on almost 1,000 women, residents in Spain, between 25 and 45 years old. These, in addition, belong to a medium, medium-high and high socio-economic level. The objective of this barometer, as we will see, is to reveal the attitude of those surveyed towards motherhood, fertility and assisted reproduction. We will be breaking down the results in the coming months, but for this first installment we are going to frame these maternity trends in the social, political and economic context that our country is currently going through. In addition, to analyze these results we have Dr. María Cerrillo, a gynecologist specializing in assisted reproduction at IVI Madrid; and Lorena Atienza, IVI Valencia patient about to give birth.
Being a mother in the current context
If we analyze the events of recent months, we find the war in Ukraine, inflation and generalized price increases, rumors that point to a new economic crisis… Given this socio-economic panorama and the foreseeable future situation, it is normal that we experience a pressing concern. And, therefore, that it affects us when making decisions, some as transcendental as forming a family.
“Not in vain, one of the figures that emerge from this study shows how 78% of women between 25 and 29 years old, with the intention of becoming mothers, have delayed their decision due to the current socio-economic framework in which we live. we find. When we talk about the total number of women interviewed, in a wide age range, the percentage drops to 67%, which is still striking. What is certain is that the current context that surrounds us has a great influence on a key decision such as motherhood. In this sense, when we refer to the weight that the current socio-economic context has on the decision of women in general to delay their decision to become mothers, the percentage rises to 84%, higher than the number registered when they pronounce themselves at the individual. This is justified by the social and economic status of the respondents, considering themselves in a better position than the rest of society. Let us not forget that we are referring to a segment of medium-high socioeconomic level”Cerrillo comments.
The delay of motherhood leads to demographic winter
This situation of delayed maternity wishes leads us to rescue a concept that is not unknown to us: the demographic winter. This leads us to a worrying situation, that of the aging of the population and a sharp drop in the birth rate. This combination is lethal for the maintenance of generational replacement.
A few weeks ago the UN (United Nations Organization) published its report World Population Prospects. As far as Spain is concerned, it is expected that we will lose 35% of the population, going from the current 47.5 million people to 30. The only reason is the low birth rate.
More recently the INE (National Institute of Statistics) made public the birth and mortality trends in the first half of this year. We observed less than 160,000 children in Spain, which represents a difference of 1,000 with the previous year. Furthermore, 2022 is the eighth consecutive year with declining births in the first six months of the year. This year’s figure represents 45,000 babies born less than in 2015, the last year in which rising birth data was collected. 2022 is also the year with the fewest births since 1941.
We are facing a situation, to say the least, alarming. Spain has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world. Only 1.28 babies are born per woman on average. This figure is very far from the replacement rate, situated at 2.1 children per woman, with which we would obtain population renewal.
The delay of motherhood among the youngest
These figures that we have just mentioned lead us to analyze that data of 78% of young people who do not see themselves having children at the moment, due to various factors. This data is nothing more than a reflection of the reality of our country: the progressive delay in the age at which to be mothers. And this, undoubtedly, makes all the alarms go off again regarding the demographic scenario we live in. A scenario that many do not hesitate to describe as a threat of severe depopulation for Spain. But let’s not raise our hands to our heads.
“Science, and more specifically reproductive medicine, is aware of these circumstances and advances every day with new alternatives to help women and couples fulfill their desire to start a family. Thus, options for more complex cases or cases of advanced maternal age, such as the Center of Excellence in Ovarian Rejuvenation of which IVI is a pioneer, or treatments with donated eggs for women who cannot use their own gametes, outline a hopeful future for these patients , despite the difficulties of the current context”explains Dr. Cerrillo.
The second case, that of egg donation treatments, is the technique that has allowed Lorena Atienza, a patient at IVI Valencia, to fulfill her desire to be a mother. She turns 40 this September and is about to give birth. After an unsuccessful IVF treatment with her own eggs, she decided to try again with donated eggs, on the recommendation of her specialist. And she got it first time.
“My husband and I met at the age of 36 and got married two years later. I would have wanted to be a mother before, but my personal circumstances did not allow it. When we took the step, we spent 7 months trying it naturally, but it didn’t come and we decided to go to IVI. With the current situation we are experiencing, it seems normal to me that other women think about being mothers. Motherhood is a sacrifice at all levels, but my message to other women, if they really want to be mothers, is to vitrify their eggs or prioritize what they want in life”Lorraine comments.
Does COVID-19 interfere with maternity plans?
Well, according to the data from our survey, no. The respondents show a lower degree of concern about the effect of the pandemic on their decision to become mothers. Only 38% of the women participating in the survey, with the intention of becoming mothers, declare that COVID-19 has affected their gestational desire.
“The pandemic came with force, it shook everything in its path worldwide, and little by little, with effort and patience, we have recovered a certain normality, as necessary as expected, adapting the day to day and the protocols to the reality that is alert. health has imposed. Difficult times are in sight, but in the same way we will look for the best options to face them with the best guarantees for our patients”concludes Dr. Cerrillo.
As we mentioned at the beginning, over the next few months we will continue to unravel the most important conclusions of this study on maternity and fertility trends.
In this sense, we have prepared a space on our website where you can consult the most relevant data of the maternity and fertility study, as well as listen to the assessment of Dr. Cerrillo, as an expert and mother, and of our patient Lorena Atienza, on this block of information that we have just presented.
