Leaving Cert biology should include sections on women’s fertility

Any new Leaving Cert biology textbooks should include sections outlining how women’s fertility falls sharply during their 30s, according to fertility experts.

Dr John Waterstone, president of the Irish Fertility Society and medical director of the Cork Fertility Centre, said the message is not hitting home to men and women that if they want to avoid fertility difficulties, women should start trying to get pregnant in their late 20s and early 30s.

He said too many patients at fertility clinics are “losing sight of the biological realities” and are shocked to discover that due to their age, their egg quality is poor and their likelihood of conceiving is low.