The term ‘demographic winter’ refers to the progressive decline of the population in a country or region as a result of a low birth rate combined with an aging population. In other words, there are more and more older people and fewer young people, which creates a worrying population imbalance.
This phenomenon particularly affects Spain, as we are one of the countries with the lowest birth rate in Europe, and it can have significant economic, social, and political consequences.
Late motherhood and the impact on fertility
One of the main causes of this fall in the birth rate is the trend towards delaying motherhood. Whether for work, economic, or social reasons, many women decide to have children at a later age, which leads to a natural decrease in fertility. The Spanish Fertility Society (SEF) puts the average age of women having their first child at 32.6 years.
Assisted reproduction and its impact on the birth rate.
Thanks to advances in assisted reproduction , there are options that allow women to take control of their fertility and plan motherhood at any age.
- Preservation of eggs
Vitrification techniques allow eggs to be frozen at the time of a woman's greatest fertility potential. This technique offers an effective alternative for women who wish to postpone motherhood, while maintaining the possibility of using young eggs with good potential to achieve a pregnancy.
Ideally, vitrification should be performed before the age of 35, when oocyte quality is optimal. Even so, each case must be evaluated individually by a specialist in assisted reproduction.
- Egg donation
Egg donation is an effective option for women who cannot conceive with their own eggs, whether due to age, low ovarian reserve or different medical conditions that affect egg quality.
Thanks to this technique, many women can fulfil their desire to be mothers with high success rates.
- In vitro fertilisation (IVF) with ICSI or IMSI
Although we tend to talk more about female fertility, it is important to remember that age and lifestyle also influence male fertility. From the age of 45, semen quality can decrease, affecting sperm mobility and morphology.
In these cases, IVF techniques with ICSI /IMSI allow us to identify the sperm with the best morphology and inject it directly into the egg. This increases the chances of correct fertilisation of the egg and good embryo development.
New family models
Assisted reproduction techniques have also contributed to the diversification of family models. Today, they allow access to motherhood for single women, female couples, and transgender people, in this way broadening the concept of family beyond the traditional model.
The demographic winter is a challenge that we must face as a society. Reproductive medicine offers tools to adapt to social, family, and cultural changes, without giving up the desire to have children.
Dr. Cristina Guix
Gynecologist specialized in fertility at Barcelona IVF
