More women ‘waiting until 40 for children’

1 March 2004

MADRID  – Spanish women are having children at a later age leading to a greater demand for donated eggs, a report said Monday.

Women are currently having their first child on average at 30, while in 1990 the average age was 26, according to the report by the Tambre fertility clinic in Madrid.

More women are not having their first child until they get close to 40.

Dr. Rocío Núñez, embryologist of the Tambre clinic, said donated sperm and donated eggs are the last resort in artificial reproduction.

The main factors in this type of fertility treatment are age, history of chromosomal disease, early menopause,  chemotherapy, ovarian surgery, pelvic infection or ovarian tumours.

Women can also resort to freezing their eggs if they have to undergo an operation or remain in treatment.

But experts say there are several legal difficulties involved, such as having to insure frozen eggs.

According to Emilio Lizárraga, legal assessor of the Madrid Medical Association’s ethics committee, insurance companies are reluctant to insure these kinds of projects.

Without insurance, the ethics committees will not authorise the projects, unless the clinic itself assumes all responsibility.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news