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In July 2026, PET and ESHRE published a joint report containing the results of an international survey assessing public attitudes towards the use of embryos in the context of fertility treatment and research. Societal views on these matters are considered important, as embryos remain a sensitive ethical issue, given their status relating to the origin of human life.
One part of the survey addressed societal views on age limits for patients accessing fertility treatment. The (relative) majority of all respondents across the four surveyed countries (United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy) supported the idea that there should be upper age limits for patients, even when treatment is self-funded. Opinions on the exact age that should be selected as a limit were divided, with 40, 45 and 50 years of age being the most frequently selected thresholds.
These results tell us something beyond the issue of public funding and use of (limited) healthcare resources for fertility treatment: they signal that many people want general age limits, regardless of how patients pay for fertility treatment. But is age actually a contested...