Delaying parenthood: choice or circumstance?

People, especially women, are delaying having children until later ages. The average age of first birth in the UK is now 29.5, an increase of six years over the past four decades. This may be problematic not only due to the fact that fertility declines with age (with a marked decrease after age 35) but also due to the fact that older age is associated with more complications during pregnancy and delivery to both mother and baby. Previous research has shown that although people have awareness of fertility risks and issues in general they often underestimate the risks and may not apply them to themselves. The aim of the present thesis is to examine reasons why people may be delaying childbearing, whether they know about the risks associated with reduced fertility and how we can better educate people about these risks