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The exceptional drop in births in France and growing infertility threaten the demographic balance of our country. However, a question arises: which men or women are more fertile? Answer.
The year 2023 is a bad year: it marks the decline in the French birth rate, with a drop of 6.6% in the number of births compared to 2022. A fall which could be explained by various economic and social factors… but also by infertility. The National Institute of Demographic Studies – a public research organization whose mission is to study populations in all their aspects – has delved into the subject: according to them, women’s fertility is at half mast, compared to that of men.
Fertility of men has exceeded that of women
While the fertility of men has been equal to that of women since 2014 among 18-50 year olds, things are apparently changing.
“If we take into account the entire fertile life of men (18-60 years) and for women (15-50 years) we see that male fertility has exceeded that of women since 2010, mainly due to male fertility beyond the age of 50. This difference is also possible due to the age difference at fertility of women and men and therefore the different respective numbers – having an effect on the calculation of rates. explains the INED press release.
To establish these conclusions, the experts relied on the fertility rates by age of women and men published annually by INSEE.
However, they assert that difficulties remain in measuring differences in men’s fertility levels.because some births are not associated with any father in the declaration to civil status” (around 5%). In fact, in order not to underestimate male fertility, INED has distributed the “children without a registered father” according to the age distribution of fathers observed among births with a declared father.
Another edifying observation highlighted in the press release: the age gap at the birth of children between men and women remains stable between 2000 and 2021, close to three years.
“It is mainly linked to the age difference at the time of forming a couple.“, notes INED.
On the other hand, for both men and women, the evolution of fertility profiles by age over the last twenty years is marked.by the aging of the fertility calendar and a decline in the birth rate“, report the experts.
NO to diets, YES to WW!
Today’s boys have 50% fewer sperm than their grandfathers
If the “global” results on male fertility are rather a good omen, those carried out specifically on male infertility seem less good, estimates Samir Hamamah, professor and gynecologist who had submitted a report to the government on the causes of infertility (2022).
“Male reproductive health is completely impaired. A grandson has 50% fewer sperm than his grandfather. Not to mention micropenis syndrome, testicular cancer…“, he laments.
One of the reasons which could explain this drop would be the (late) age of the father: 30% of children born in France in 2022 have a father aged 38 and over. Unfortunately, awareness among men – and support – are not there in France.
“There are 1,330 urologists in France and there are not even around fifty of them who are interested in the care of infertile men.“, he concludes.