Fertility or pregnancy rates for understanding the declining fertility?

ID: 116 / Session 4B: 1
Abstract for presentation
Sessions: Fertility in Nordic Countries and Germany I & II
Keywords: Fertility decline, pregnancy rates, IVF, abortions, immigration
Fertility or pregnancy rates for understanding the declining fertility?
Lindahl-Jacobsen, Rune1; Beck, Astrid Linnea2; Rizzi, Silvia1; Holmboe, Stine Agergaard2; Skakkebæk, Niels Erik2
1University of Southern Denmark, Denmark; 2Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital – Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark; [email protected]
Fertility rates have been below the sustainability level of 2.1 children per woman in most high-income countries for decades. Meanwhile, the use of artificial reproductive techniques (ART) has increased for conceiving a child. In this study, we combine nationwide information on abortions, ART and immigration to illustrate the difference in pregnancy rates and fertility rates.
We used Danish registry data on ART treatments, induced abortions and country of origin to estimate pregnancy rates and compare them to fertility rates. To include birth cohorts with not completed fertility, ART and abortion rates, these were forecasted.
Our results clearly show that pregnancy rates have declined more rapidly than fertility rates and that immigration has significantly contributed to the fertility rates seen in Denmark. The forecasted fertility and pregnancy rates suggest this pattern will continue.
We infer from our results that pregnancy rates may be more informative in understanding the fertility crisis on Earth and that biological factors could significantly contribute to the findings.