The Correlation Between Age and Infertility.

At one point, the success rate of pregnancy through infertility treatments was known to be around 30%. However, it has been observed that as age increases, this success rate significantly decreases.

 

This has resulted in a situation where a significant number of dual-income couples are unable to receive the benefits of treatment cost support.

 

Infertility refers to the state where a couple fails to conceive even after maintaining a normal conjugal relationship for over a year without contraception. When we look at the age-specific success rates of pregnancy, for those under the age of 44, it has been maintained at around 30% from 2019 to 2022. However, for those aged 45 and above, it hovers around 4%.

 

The phenomenon of pregnancy becoming more difficult as a woman's age advances is evident in these findings. According to data obtained by the office of Representative Jung Chun-sook of the Democratic Party, the number of supported infertility procedures from both the national and local governments has been on the rise until last year. With delayed marriages, the number of couples experiencing infertility has increased. Particularly, women in their early 40s have surpassed those in their early 20s in terms of marriage rates.

 

Advanced maternal age refers to situations where a woman above the age of 35 becomes pregnant. This falls under high-risk pregnancies due to the increased incidence of various pregnancy complications. It is characterized by a higher risk of complications like chronic hypertension, preeclampsia, miscarriage, and preterm birth. Especially for older women experiencing their first pregnancy, the challenges may be even greater.

 

Looking at the number of supported cases by age, the count for women under 44 increased from 102,103 cases in 2021 to 107,527 in 2022. Women aged 45 and above also saw an increase from 3,118 cases in 2021 to 4,043 in 2022. However, despite this, the overall pregnancy success rate remained around 30% in 2021 and 28.6% in 2022.

 

Since 2006, the government has been providing support to infertile couples, and until 2021, the support program for infertility treatment was led by the national government. However, since last year, it has been transferred to local governments. Currently, in most regions, eligibility for infertility treatment support is limited to households with incomes below 180% of the median income. This has resulted in a situation where a significant number of dual-income couples are unable to receive the benefits of treatment cost support.