FERTILITY
Fertility = the ability to have children
Total Fertility Rate = the estimated # of children
that would be born to each woman according to
fertility patterns of the current year
Canada’s current fertility rate is below replacement
rate, meaning
we are not
having enough
children to
replace our
population
Urbanization & Industrialization (late 1800s)
Expected to raise children on a “family wage”, improved healthcare reduced
infant/maternal mortality, various methods of birth control used
Mandatory Schooling (1870) & Child Labour Legislation (1900s)
Children financially dependent on their parents for longer WWI & The Great Depression
DECLINE
Post WWII “baby boom 1947-1966”
Economic prosperity; almost full employment, women encouraged to return to domestic roles, government pronatalist policies created e.g., the family allowance, a monthly payment per child to all mothers
INCLINE
Legalization of Birth Control & Equality
Baby boomer’s children postponed parenthood until they were “ready”, birth control pill available in the late 60s & legalized in 1969, gender equality combined with increased education & greater labour force participation made it costly for women to stay at home & have children
DECLINE
On average
women & men are
waiting to have
children Average age for 1st
time mothers has
increased from 23.4
years in 1976 to
27.7 years in 2002 1st mothers over the age of 30 has increased & under the age
of 30 has decreased Delayed reproduction is linked to delayed life transitions like
leaving home, entering the workforce as well as cohabitating/marrying
Delaying Parenthood 1 in 5 babies in Canada has a mother age 35 or older Increased risks of;
Many people believe as long as you are healthy you are fertile & if not reproductive technologies can help, as a result many people end up “unintentionally childless” meaning they expected to have children but waited too long
- Preterm birth- Gestational diabetes- Chromosomal disorders like Downs Syndrome- Giving birth by means of c-section - Placenta Previa
Infertility Infertility = the inability to produce
children Rates of infertility have been on the
rise, current estimates show that 16%
of couples experience infertility The older the women the higher the
chance of fertility issues The increase is linked to delayed
pregnancy, increasing rates of obesity,
heavy drinking among females,
increase in STIs, decreased
sperm count in males For women over the age of 40 the
failure rate of ART (assisted
reproductive technology) is 90%!