IVF isn't a Fix-All for Those Choosing to Delay Adulthood

All too frequently, I am faced with breaking bad news to disappointed couples in their early 40s who expected IVF to solve their fertility problems. The sad truth is that there's often little I can offer if the woman is much over 40, apart from egg donation from a younger sibling, friend or donor.

Many of these couples have read about the recent scientific advances that have led to significant improvements in assisted reproductive technology. But what's not so well understood is that these advances really apply only to women in their 20s and 30s. Today, just 12 per cent of IVF cycles in women over 40 result in the birth of a baby.

The poor quality of eggs in "older" women is now the single-biggest challenge facing fertility specialists around the world. It's a crucial message that still does not always get through to Generation Y as they enter their important child-bearing years.

Men and women are tending to delay the traditional markers of adulthood. Marriage and children have given way to travel, career aspirations and a mortgage...