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Female infertility is on the rise, especially among young women.
That is the message Natasha Berman, a naturopath and medical herbalist, wants to pass along to Kiwi girls.
“I find it alarming how many women are suffering from fertility problems. Statistics show that infertility for those aged between 20-35 years tripled in the last 30 years,” says Natasha.
Natasha runs a clinic called Quintessence, and says the causes of growing infertility are numerous. She cites among them stress, which can affect the immune system, poor diet and nutrition and sexually transmitted diseases.
Sexually transmitted diseases, while not a new phenomenon, are alarmingly high in New Zealand. The HPV or herpes virus (more commonly known as genital warts) is still prevalent among young, sexually active New Zealanders despite warnings being issued about the use of condoms and the need for regular check-ups. Gonorrhea and syphilis, which can go undetected for years sometimes, can cause scarring of the fallopian tubes to such an extent that it makes carrying a child to full-term impossible.
Natasha also warns girls about the use of recreational drugs, saying that they “take their toll” on the nutritional status of the body, hence causing the immune system to weaken.
Party pills, drugs that most often contain BZP (benzylpiperazine), are legal in New Zealand. There are no long-term studies of their effects on the human body as of yet.
Natasha says young women need to think long term about the health choices they’re making. Babies may be the last thing on your mind at the moment, but do you want the option closed off to you in the future?
“Bad choices such as smoking, heavy drinking and recreational drugs always catch up eventually. Life and good health is about balance and being responsible,” she says.
But it is not just health that is affecting fertility levels in young people, and it is not confined to New Zealand.
A Marie Claire study showed that in Japan, the number of children born has decreased to 1.29 per-couple. In a few years time, the population could go into a decline if nothing is done to bring birth levels up. Australian women have been urged to have three babies each: “one for Mum, one for Dad, and one for your country”.
Why exactly is there a risk of population decline in first world countries?
A quick poll of young women aged between 20-35 found that many of them have put off, or are planning to put off having children because of rising cost of living and having more choices than any of the generations previous to them.
“I don’t want to have children ever, and that is a lifestyle choice for my husband and I,” says a 28-year-old university student who wishes to remain anonymous.
Leaving childbirth to later in life is also a problem as fertility decreases by 50% at 30 years of age and could go as high as 70% at 35, says Natasha.
What can we do to encourage more young women to have children then?
Many say that adequate provision of childcare by the government, better education systems and better pay will persuade them to have children at a younger age.
However, there is also the tough choice that young women have to make of putting off their careers and possibly never being able to return to them. The solution to that could be as simple as having workplaces that allow mothers to work part-time until their children are of school-age and then giving them the opportunity to pursue their careers after that.
Clearly there are no easy solutions, but it's worth thinking a little further ahead about the toll your lifestyle of today could have on the choices you get to make in the future.
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Female infertility is on the rise, especially among young women. 
“I don’t want to have children ever, and that is a lifestyle choice for my husband and I,” says a 28-year-old university student who wishes to remain anonymous.