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NRT in the form of assisted reproduction and sex-selective abortive technologies continue to add to the "entangled" form of the reproductive body (Murphy, [1]). This special issue brings together emerging research around the vicissitudes of the reproductive body, as it comes undone in emerging body politics in India in relation to New Reproductive Technologies (NRT). This paper also shows that while ultrasound technology in Jammu is deployed for sex-selective abortion of girls, its availability in Leh has not led to a deterioration in the sex ratio. [Extracted from the article]

In response to the population aging, on May 31, 2021, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) proposed the policy that a couple can have three children and rolled out more supportive measures to further optimize fertility policies, which is another major initiative following the universal two-child policy introduced in November 2015. Currently, a series of population policy innovations have aroused great attractions among the public and triggered a hot debating on the Internet. People’s fertility attitude tendency under different related policies can reflect their current fertility intentions. Based on the fact, this paper firstly classifies the sentiment of online comment data on the three-child policy and analyzes people’s sentiment tendency toward the three-child policy from the spatio-temporal perspectives. Secondly, people’s points of view on the three-child policy are summarized by using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) thematic clustering. The reasons for the change in people’s fertility attitude tendency under different fertility policies are analyzed by comparing the change in people’s fertility attitude tendency with the change in people’s attentions. Finally, a multiple regression equation is constructed to analyze the key factors influencing people’s intention to have three children by using public opinion data and its extension data. The findings demonstrate: (1) people’s fertility attitudes toward the three-child policy are negative and similar among different regions; (2) compared to the two-child policy, the percentage of negative and neutral attitudes toward the three-child policy increases, while the percentage of positive attitudes decreases; (3) the increase in fertility costs, the deterioration of women’s employment environment, and the change in the concept of marriage and childbirth become important reasons for the negative change in people’s fertility attitudes toward different policies. Therefore, the government should take measures to reduce the burden of childbirth and guide the correct concept of marriage and childbirth to improve people’s fertility intentions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early work on China's Two-Child Policy identified cost as a major disincentive to having a second child, but financial constraints may work in tandem with cultural factors to shape childbearing desire. In addition, most research has excluded men from the sample. This paper develops Yan's (2003) concepts of 'new' and 'traditional' fertility cultures to childbearing desire, a key component of fertility decision-making that is poorly understood (Hayford & Agadjanian, 2017). In particular, we focus on how differing conceptions of children's needs relate to perceptions of cost. This paper reports on semi-structured interviews with 29 men and women in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province. We found that interviewees who espoused views consistent with a traditional fertility framework were more interested in having a second child, and were less concerned about cost. In addition, men were more likely to espouse views consistent with a traditional fertility cultural framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postponement of first birth has implications for the health and well-being of women and is often associated with lower fertility levels, a demographic reality affecting most high-income countries. Country-level institutional differences are one factor behind the variation in fertility in these countries. This paper examines the relationship between housing and mean age at first birth across 39 low-fertility countries. Using newly compiled indicators of multiple dimensions of the housing context we explore housing from the perspective of renters and homebuyers and examine differences for former-communist and non-former-communist countries. We use six indicators of the housing context and combine them into three different indexes: renter support index, homebuyer support index, and a combined index of both dimensions. Analyses show that access to housing is associated with age at first birth, but that this relationship has changed over time and is different for former-communist and non-former-communist countries. Findings support theories that expectations regarding the importance of homeownership for family formation are changing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that Chicago School economist Gary Becker’s theory of fertility underpins contemporary rationalities of global population governance. Drawing on feminist critiques of biopolitics, the paper proposes reproduction as a missing link that ties Becker’s homo economicus to the aggregate question of population. It argues that Becker’s work challenged macroeconomic theories of fertility by figuring reproduction, and hence population patterns, as governed by the personal utility-maximizing decisions of individuals. It further examines how his approach to fertility inaugurated reproductive decision-making as a regulatory node of population quality, one also tied to a particular sex, race and class politics. Finally, the paper briefly analyses the relationship between Becker’s contribution and today’s focus on women’s reproductive and productive decision-making in population governance in the context of development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a stochastic dynamic mathematical model, in which a Family Policy Index (XFPI) is included to measure and compare two different models of provision of resources to support families with children from 0 to 3 years old. The main variables in this model are the XFPI, fertility, mortality, emigration and immigration rates. This mathematical model was validated in two different countries, Spain and Norway, during the 2007–2015 period. A sensitivity analysis was applied to simulate the future trend (2016–2030), examining the influence of providing public pre-school services (0 to 3 years) on (XISF). The results obtained show that these services may indeed have an influence on fertility rates, as long as they are developed extensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines social class differences in fertility, using longitudinal micro-level data for a regional sample in Sweden, 1922–2015. Using discrete-time event history models, we estimated the association between social class and parity-specific duration to next birth, adjusting for household income in separate models. Social class was associated with fertility quite independently from income and the association was both parity-dependent and sex-specific. For transitions to parenthood, higher class position was associated with higher fertility for men and lower fertility for women before 1970, but then converged into a positive association for both sexes after 1990. For continued childbearing, a weak U-shaped relationship before 1947 turned into a positive relationship for second births and a negative relationship for higher-order births in the period after 1990. These patterns likely reflect broader changes in work–family compatibility and are connected to profound shifts in labour markets and institutional arrangements in twentieth-century Sweden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender equity theories of fertility broadly predict that the lowest fertility in high-income settings will be seen in women facing a 'dual burden' of both paid and unpaid labour responsibilities, but that fertility will increase when male partners share domestic labour. Here we provide a critique of some gender equity theories of fertility in demography, and restate the hypothesis in terms of complementarity between partners. Further, we suggest authors use an interdisciplinary approach, such as integrating perspectives from evolutionary theory and the 'Traits-Desires-Intentions-Behaviour' framework, to provide some consistency to this diverse literature. Building on this theoretical synthesis, we perform a systematic review of 95 pieces of analysis. This broadly supports the idea that fertility will be low where women face a dual burden, which is particularly evident among macro-level studies, micro-level analyses investigating progression to subsequent children, and studies which do not use gender role attitudes as an independent variable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a divergence in the pace of fertility decline between the Muslim-dominated countries of Maghreb and those of Middle/West Africa (despite having similar religious beliefs, which studies have implicated as a major determinant of fertility behaviours). While the Maghreb countries have total fertility rate ranging between 2 and 3, it ranges between 6 and 7 in Muslim-majority countries of Middle/West Africa. Factors other than religion seem to be responsible for this divergent pattern. Evidence is sparse on this. This paper provides empirical evidence on factors influencing divergent pattern in fertility levels of selected Muslim-dominated countries of Maghreb and Middle/West Africa. Based on availability of recent data, this paper drew on Demographic and Health Survey data of three Middle/West Africa countries—Mali (2013–14), Niger (2012) and Northern Nigeria (2013); and two North African countries—Egypt (2014) and Morocco (2003–04). Relationships were explored using Poisson regression models that adjusted for religion and women characteristics. Findings showed that age at first marriage, age at first birth, contraceptive use, child mortality, plurality of marriage and women education are the major drivers of divergence in fertility patterns of the selected countries in both sub-regions. Differences in proximate determinants of fertility played significant roles in shaping the divergent pattern in fertility levels between both sub-regions. Rather than focusing on religion, this study suggests the need for transition in the proximate determinants of fertility in Middle/West African countries, if the sub-region would achieve the desired fertility decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New data based on retrospective interviews with older informants enable us to review the history of contraceptive use among Spanish women over much of the twentieth century. This source is unique because it includes cohorts of women whose reproductive lives took place before, during, and after the baby boom. Traditional contraceptive methods (withdrawal and periodic abstinence) were central to the experience of the first set of women, while the last set made full use of modern as well as some traditional methods. For the first cohorts, traditional methods spearheaded the historic decline in fertility, while among the last set of women modern methods led to a precipitous decline towards the below-replacement fertility that continues in Spain today. There is no evidence that the modest increases in fertility during the baby boom in Spain were the result of a decline in the use of contraception among married women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Own Children Method (OCM) is an indirect procedure for deriving age-specific fertility rates and total fertility from children living with their mothers at a census or survey. The method was designed primarily for the calculation of overall fertility, although there are variants that allow the calculation of marital fertility. In this paper we argue that the standard variants for calculating marital fertility can produce misleading results and require strong assumptions, particularly when applied to social or spatial subgroups. We present two new variants of the method for calculating marital fertility: the first of these allows for the presence of non-marital fertility and the second also permits the more robust calculation of rates for social subgroups of the population. We illustrate and test these using full-count census data for England and Wales in 1911. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hong Kong is characterized by very low fertility. However, over a period from 2000 to 2015, both the total number of births and the sex ratio at birth (SRB) increased and then declined dramatically. We analysed the increases in a 2013 paper in this journal, where we largely ascribed them to a rapid growth in the number of 'transient' mothers from Mainland China disproportionately giving birth to boys in the territory. In 2012, policies were implemented to halt this 'maternity migration'. Here, we explore the impact of these policies, both on births and the SRB in Hong Kong. We conclude that the rises and falls in births and SRBs in Hong Kong can, indeed, be broadly ascribed to the reproductive behaviour of transient Mainland mothers. However, the role of the Hong Kong government's policy interventions is much less clearly defined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three Baltic countries experienced the most rapid population decline throughout the 1990s and 2000s in Europe. The resulting critical demographic situation motivated the governments of the Baltic states to pay more political attention to family policy issues than in the rest of Europe. The aim of the paper is to analyze the development of family policy in Baltic countries and factors that influenced it during the 2009 economic crisis. Also, the outcomes in terms of child poverty and fertility are highlighted. Results show that the economic resources and fertility level had an essential impact on family policy in the Baltic states. Economic support to families, in turn, directly alleviate the poverty level of families and indirectly influence fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates whether unemployment and insecure employment lead to delaying first childbearing in France, and whether these impacts are likely to differ between children of immigrants from North Africa and natives across genders. Data come from pooling two cohorts of French school-leavers followed over 7–10 years. Findings show that women of North African descent have a first child later than native women, whereas results for men are not significantly ethnic origin-differentiated. Unemployment and non-permanent employment are related to postponement of fertility for both men and women. Current unemployment affects the children of immigrants from North Africa more than their counterparts with no direct migration background. Persistent unemployment does not have any significant effect on childbearing for the women of North African immigrant descent, while it strongly reduces that of the men. While employment uncertainty thus tends to delay first parenthood, its impact seems to occur more through the timing of couple formation than through the timing of conception among children of immigrants from North Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The timings of historical fertility transitions in different regions are well understood by demographers, but much less is known regarding their specific features and causes. In the study reported in this paper, we used longitudinal micro-level data for five local populations in Europe and North America to analyse the relationship between socio-economic status and fertility during the fertility transition. Using comparable analytical models and class schemes for each population, we examined the changing socio-economic differences in marital fertility and related these to common theories on fertility behaviour. Our results do not provide support for the hypothesis of universally high fertility among the upper classes in pre- transitional society, but do support the idea that the upper classes acted as forerunners by reducing their fertility before other groups. Farmers and unskilled workers were the latest to start limiting their fertility. Apart from these similarities, patterns of class differences in fertility varied significantly between populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are found widespread in the environment and humans. The relation of PFASs to fertility has now been examined in a relatively large number of epidemiologic studies and a synthesis is in order. The aim of this study was to assess the current human epidemiologic evidence on the association between exposure to PFASs and measures of human fertility, with particular emphasis on perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA). Systematic literature searches were initially conducted in MEDLINE and EMBASE and subsequently in references and citations of included papers. Studies were included if they assessed exposure to PFASs in biological samples in relation to reproductive hormones, semen characteristics, or time to pregnancy (TTP). Study characteristics and results were abstracted to predefined forms, and the studies were assessed for the risk of bias and confounding. Sixteen studies investigated the association between PFAS exposure in men and semen parameters, reproductive hormone levels, or TTP. There was a lack of consistent results among the numerous investigated exposure-outcome combinations. However, subtle associations between higher PFOS and lower testosterone or abnormal semen morphology cannot be excluded. Eleven studies assessed the association between PFAS exposure in women and TTP or reproductive hormones levels. Four of eight studies found prolonged TTP with higher PFOS or PFOA, but only one study found an association when restricting to nulliparous women. In men, there is little evidence of an association between PFAS exposure and semen quality or levels of reproductive hormones. For PFOS and PFOA, the literature indicates an association with female fecundability in parous women, which is most likely not causal. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

It is widely documented that Thailand's National Family Planning Program (NFPP) has been successful in increasing contraceptive prevalence and reducing fertility. In this paper, we investigate to what extent setting up the NFPP between the mid 1960s and the early 1990s in local communities per se has added to this success. For this, we use data from the 1992/93 Survey on the Status of Women and Fertility in Thailand (SWAFT). We find that presence of the NFPP in a community is associated with less than two percentage points higher proportion of women with contraceptive experience at ages 15–19, to about six percentage points higher proportion at ages 35–39, and with about a 3 per cent lower completed fertility. Although these associations are relatively small, they are significant and may suggest that setting up the NFPP in local communities per se has been important for a small group of hard-to-reach women with unmet contraceptive needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the impact of culture on the fertility behavior of teenage women in the US. To identify this effect, it took an epidemiological approach, exploiting the variations in teenage women's fertility rates by ancestral home country. Using three different databases (the US National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, the US National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, and the 2000 US Census), the results show that culture has quantitatively important effects on the fertility behavior of teenage women. This finding is robust to alternative specifications, to the introduction of a range of home country variables to proxy culture, and to the measurement of individual characteristics present when teenage women continue with a pregnancy to have a child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study accounts for the heterogeneous consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic on fertility plans and behaviours, by focusing on the motivations for suspended pre-Covid fertility plans and on those for new fertility plans that arose during the pandemic. We rely on unique data collected with a repeated cross-sectional survey conducted in April/May 2021 and October/November 2021 on a sample of young Italians (aged 18–34). We estimate a set of multinomial and logit models to examine some correlates of fertility plans and behaviours. Then, we provide a more qualitative analysis of the reasons behind the resulting patterns of associations. Changes in fertility plans and behaviours from pre-COVID intentions clearly show that the economic recession burdens unequally individuals and their opportunities to cope with obstacles to both work and family involvement. At the same time, those who started to plan childbirth during the pandemic, frequently cite as important motivations the increased opportunities to enjoy the family life, the more balanced work and family involvement, the higher share of domestic tasks in the couple, and the improved relationship quality. Our results suggest the need for exploring also positive channels through which the Covid-19 crisis had provided opportunities for planning new births. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Brazilian period total fertility rate (PTFR) dropped to 1.8 in 2010 (1.5 among those with high education). Due to shifts in fertility timing, the PTFR may provide a misleading picture of fertility levels. The consequences of these changes for the cohort total fertility rate (CTFR)—a measure free from tempo distortions—and for educational differences in completed fertility remain unknown. Due to data limitations, CTFR forecasts in low- and middle-income countries are rare. We use Brazilian censuses to reconstruct fertility rates indirectly and forecast the CTFR for all women and by educational level. Four forecasting methods indicate that the CTFR is unlikely to fall to the level of the PTFR. Educational differences in the CTFR are likely to be stark, at 0.7–0.9, larger than in many high-income countries with comparable CTFRs. We show how the CTFR can be forecasted in settings with limited data and call for more research on educational differences in completed fertility in low- and middle-income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses income accumulated over ages 20–60 to examine whether richer or poorer individuals have more children. Income histories are calculated using yearly administrative register data from contemporary Sweden for cohorts born 1940–70. Differences by parity and income distribution are examined separately by sex. There is a strong positive gradient between accumulated disposable income (and to a lesser extent earnings) and fertility for men in all cohorts and a gradual transformation from a negative to a positive gradient for women. In particular, accumulated incomes are substantially lower for childless men and women than those with children. For men, fertility increases monotonically with increasing income, whereas for women much of the positive gradient results from low fertility among women with very low accumulated incomes in later cohorts. Most of the positive income–fertility gradient can be explained by the high incomes of men and women with two to four children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how the deportation of the Dargin people in the Caucasus affects intergenerational fertility rates and assesses the results of the experiment. The authors paid attention to two Dargin settlements located in the foothills and Mid-Mountains areas of Dagestan, the first of which was subject to forced replacement, but the other was left intact. Inhabitants of both settlements have close kinship ties and are tied by commodity trade as well. The authors obtained data through municipal registers and an additional survey conducted in the studied localities. We used event history analysis as the main methodology. The main findings cover the following: the foothill settlers managed to keep the social norms along with handicrafts that existed before deportation which brought about the intergenerational continuity in procreative behaviour and higher childbirth rates in the foothill settlement that have persisted for a long time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Births outside of marriage are comparatively rare in East Asia, but numbers appear to be rising. Such fertility tends to be concentrated among lower educational and socioeconomic groups which can entrench pre-existing inequalities in systems where such 'non-traditional' family forms are penalised. Most research in this area, however, has focused on the relationship between marriage and first birth. Using a large microdataset from Hong Kong, we explore the relationship between marriage and childbearing across the life-course. In particular, we examine the frequency of marriage between parities, and the various predictors of marrying (or not). Rather than 'life-long' cohabiters, we find roughly half of all couples who have a first birth outside of marriage do, in fact, marry before having their second child. The study concludes with some exploratory reasons for the apparently strong continuation of the relationship between marriage and childbearing in Hong Kong and in East Asia more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study estimates the impact of women's college education on their fertility-related outcomes by taking advantage of a natural experiment known as the graduation quota program that massively expanded women's opportunities to attend college in South Korea. After the 1979 military coup, the military regime in South Korea ordered all public and private colleges to expand their college admission levels by 30 per cent in 1981 and 50 per cent in 1982. This study implemented instrumental variable (IV) analysis using the Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families (KLoWF). Specifically, our IV analysis uses the birth cohorts that were differently exposed to this sudden and exogenous policy change as an instrumental variable to identify the longer-term effects of college education on women's fertility-related outcomes. It is found that college education caused those women who were induced to attend college by the graduation quota program to have fewer children. Furthermore, this study finds that this impact can be partially explained by women being less likely to get married. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In case 1, the male patient received multiple cycles of chemotherapy prior to two conditioning regimens, BEAM and flu-mel, containing high-dose melphalan in combination with other drugs. In murine models, anthracyclines can deplete ovarian follicle reserve [[10]], although in humans doxorubicin doses up to 300 mg/m SP 2 sp in ABVD are not associated with impairment of female fertility [[11]]. The observation that the patient was oligospermic but not azoospermic after two conditioning regimens suggests that germ cells within seminiferous tubules may be less sensitive to the sterilizing effects of high-dose chemotherapy than ovarian oocytes. [Extracted from the article]

Fertility preferences have long played a key role in models of fertility differentials and change. We examine the stability of preferences over time using rich panel data on Kenyan women's fertility desires, expectations, actual fertility, and recall of desires in three waves over a nine-year period, when respondents were in their 20s. We find that although desired fertility is quite unstable, most women perceive their desires to be stable. Under hypothetical future scenarios, few expect their desired fertility to increase over time but, in fact, such increases in fertility desires are common. Moreover, when asked to recall past desires, most respondents report previously wanting exactly as many children as they desire today. These patterns of bias are consistent with the emerging view that fertility desires are contextual, emotionally laden, and structured by identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women's health status may affect their opportunities and preferences for children through various mechanisms. We examine the relationship between health and fertility using Norwegian registry data (2004–18). Measuring verifiable and persistent health problems, we use uptake of doctor-certified sickness absence and long-term health-related benefits as proxies for health. In contrast to the expectation that poor health limits women's opportunities for children, our results show that sickness absence is positively associated with transitions to parenthood. The uptake of long-term benefits is, however, negatively associated with fertility. The selection of healthy women into parenthood weakens the association for higher-order births. The impact of long-term health indicators on fertility is comparable in magnitude to that observed for more conventional predictors, such as education and income. With continued postponement of childbearing and thus higher maternal ages, the influence of health as a fertility determinant is likely to grow and further research appears warranted. Supplementary material for this article is available at: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interplay between remarriage and fertility is among the most poorly documented subjects in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), despite remarriage being one of the fundamental aspects of marriage dynamics in this region. We use Demographic and Health Survey data from 34 countries in SSA to document the association between remarriage and fertility during the reproductive years and over the fertility transition. The findings show that in 29 countries, remarried women end up having fewer children than women in intact unions, despite attaining similar or higher levels of fertility at early reproductive ages. However, remarriage is found to have a positive effect on fertility in Sierra Leone. The effects of remarriage on fertility diminish as fertility declines, with smaller effects generally observed in countries that are relatively advanced in their fertility transition and larger effects found elsewhere. These findings shed light on the role that remarriage might play in country-level fertility declines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An exogenous policy change that ended the ability of rural Ethiopian households to affect the size or security of their land holdings through fertility decisions provides a natural experiment to explore the impact of land tenure institutions on fertility. Use of a difference-in-differences approach that uses aggregated data from censuses before (1994) and after (2007) the reform found large fertility effects, with rural women estimated to have reduced life-time fertility by one child due to the reform. Estimated effects on urban women or employment outcomes are not significantly different from zero and robustness checks show no evidence of spillovers or policy endogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lowering desired family size is a necessary precondition for fertility declines in high-fertility settings. Although accumulated evidence links socio-economic developments to changing fertility desires, little research has disentangled the relative importance of key socio-economic determinants. Combining individual- and community-level data from Demographic and Health Surveys in 34 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, we compare the relative role of different socio-economic factors on fertility desires at the individual, community, and country levels. Results show that at the individual level, women's education has a stronger effect than household wealth and area of residence. The high levels of reported desired family size in rural parts of SSA are mainly a consequence of relatively lower levels of education. The relative impact of women's education is even stronger at the community level. Our findings are robust to alternative measures of fertility preferences and strengthen previous findings regarding the relationship between fertility and women's education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most research on trends in socio-economic fertility differences has focused on cohort total fertility and on women. This study aimed to analyse how cohort trends in parity-specific fertility differ across educational segments for men and women and what role multi-partner fertility plays in these trends. We used Finnish and Swedish register data on cohorts born in 1940–73/78. The main analyses used parity progression ratios, comparing ordinary ratios with similar ratios using births to first reproductive partners only. Among the low and medium educated, we observe strengthening parity polarization across cohorts, with increases in both childlessness and births of order three or higher, the latter largely reflecting increases in multi-partner fertility. Highly educated men and women more often have exactly two children. We demonstrate that cohort total fertility can mask significant parity-specific trends across educational groups and that changes in multi-partner fertility can play a part in cohort trends in socio-economic fertility differentials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides evidence on the principal determinants of high-risk fertility – a level of fertility, which is measured through maternal age (less than 20 years and/or more than 34 years), a large number of children (more than 3), and short birth interval (less than 18 months) in Bangladesh. More specifically, this study explores the influences of women's autonomy in decision-making, physical mobility and economic matters on high-risk fertility. Also, the socioeconomic attributes of women are used to explain this relationship. To identify the amount of variations in high-risk fertility at different geographic units across the country, a multilevel approach is applied considering individual, community and district levels by using a large nationwide dataset (BDHS 2017–2018). The findings of the present study indicate women's autonomy in decision-making have strong significant effects on high-risk fertility; however, freedom of movement and economic autonomy do not have any significant effects. Furthermore, women's education, religion and place of residence are found to be strong determinants of high-risk fertility, which also partially mediate the relationship between high-risk fertility and decision-making autonomy. High-risk fertility also varies at district level across Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 1990 and 2015, several post-communist countries experienced a decline in fertility, followed by a rise in the period fertility rate of roughly one child per woman. Mongolia is a good case-in-point. Its period fertility dropped further after the demise of socialism in 1990 but has increased again since 2005 and fluctuated around 3.0 children per woman in recent years. Political factors have been suggested as the explanation of these changes. This research investigates whether demographic factors also provide explanations for the period fertility changes in Mongolia. We study this through reconstructing the fertility rates, by age and birth order, from data collected by several social and demographic surveys. The fertility rates are adjusted to examine the role of tempo effects in recent fertility changes. The results show that the demographic influences, in particular childbearing postponement and recuperation, have contributed to recent changes in fertility trends and levels in Mongolia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women use fertility tracking apps (FTAs) for conception purposes, but user perspectives on FTA use for conception are largely unknown. In collaboration with SPD Clearblue, this study explored: how women trying to conceive use FTAs; women's knowledge of their conception chances; and women's feelings towards a potential natural conception prediction app (NCPA). A mixed methods design was used (online survey and phone interviews). Participants were women 18–40 years old actively trying to conceive. The survey received 154 responses and 24 interviews were conducted. Thematic analysis of interviews found that women consider several factors before trying to conceive (ex. age, financial and job security, stability of relationship, etc.) and may adopt lifestyle and behaviour changes when trying (ex. increasing exercise, smoking cessation, diet changes, etc.). Survey results indicated that nearly all respondents were aware of FTAs (n = 146, 94.8%), however, several other fertility and conception information sources were also used (ex. health care providers, online sources, family and friends, etc.). Nearly all respondents reported they would use an NCPA (n = 153, 99.4%). During interviews women had positive feelings towards such an app due to it offering new and individualised information, but worried the app could provide upsetting information. This research elaborates on women's uses of and interest in FTAs. Stakeholders should use this research to reflect on current conception experiences and possibilities for improvement through development of an NCPA. Future research should seek opinions from a more diverse sample of women to inform the development of an inclusive NCPA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Fertility tracking devices offer women direct-to-user information about their fertility. The objective of this study is to understand how a fertility tracking device algorithm adjusts to changes of the individual menstrual cycle and under different conditions.Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on a cohort of women who were using the device between January 2004 and November 2014. Available temperature and menstruation inputs were processed through the Daysy 1.0.7 firmware to determine fertility outputs. Sensitivity analyses on temperature noise, skipped measurements, and various characteristics were conducted.Results: A cohort of 5328 women from Germany and Switzerland contributed 107,020 cycles. Mean age of the sample was 30.77 [SD 5.1] years, with a BMI of 22.07 kg/m^2 [SD 2.4]. The mean cycle length reported was 29.54 [SD 3.0] days. The majority of women were using the device 80-100% of the time during the cycle (53.1%). For this subset of women, the fertility device identified on average 41.4% [SD 6.4] possibly fertile (red) days, 42.4% [SD 8.7] infertile (green) days and 15.9% [SD 7.3] yellow days. The number of infertile (green) days decreases proportionally to the number of measured days, whereas the number of undefined (yellow) days increases.Conclusion: Overall, these results showed that the fertility tracker algorithm was able to distinguish biphasic cycles and provide personalised fertility statuses for users based on daily basal body temperature readings and menstruation data. We identified a direct linear relationship between the number of measurements and output of the fertility tracker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine pathways between indicators of fertility tempo/quantum and depressive symptoms among parents aged 55+ with at least two children, using three waves of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Using standard regression approaches and path analysis within the structural equation framework, we also investigate whether fertility trajectories mediated the association between childhood disadvantage and later-life depression. Results provide limited support for direct influences of fertility trajectories on depression, but indicate indirect linkages for both women and men. Associations are mediated by partnership history, social support, wealth, later-life smoking, and functional limitation. Associations between childhood disadvantage and later-life depression are partially mediated by fertility stressors. Results confirm the influence of life course experiences on depression at older ages and demonstrate the interlinked role of family and other life course pathways on later-life well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Survey data on fertility preferences have played a central but controversial role in fertility research and advocacy for family planning. We summarize evidence from longitudinal studies in 28 Asian and African populations on the relationship between preferences and subsequent childbearing. While we found no consistent association between women's desire to delay childbearing and subsequent fertility, the baseline desire of women to stop childbearing was a powerful predictor of subsequent fertility in all populations and increased in strength as overall contraceptive use in the study populations rose. Partners' desire also exercised some influence but was of modest importance in most populations. However, the correspondence between desire to stop and behaviour was found to be far from perfect. Weak implementation of preferences by contraception is likely to be the major cause of this preference- behaviour discrepancy. Uncertainty and instability in preferences may also contribute to the discrepancy, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given widespread misunderstanding of pregnancy risk, awareness of one's fertility has the potential to influence sexual and reproductive health behaviors. This mixed-methods study examined the impact of a serial radio drama in Rwanda, Impano n'Impamba, on fertility awareness and other factors related to family planning uptake by comparing listeners and non-listeners in a nationally representative household survey (n = 1477) and analyzing in-depth interviews with 32 listeners. Listeners had higher fertility awareness than non-listeners for key concepts, including the menstrual cycle, onset of fertility, and postpartum pregnancy risk. Qualitative interviews suggest discussion groups provided an invaluable opportunity to ask questions to a knowledgeable facilitator and clarify the fertility awareness information. No significant differences in modern family planning use or intention to use were found between listeners and non-listeners, but listeners reported greater supportive norms, self-efficacy, and discussion of family planning. Qualitative interviews suggest that increased discussion about family planning occurred because the drama emboldened people to talk about uncomfortable and taboo topics. Post-broadcast, listeners of Impano n'Impamba had greater fertility awareness then non-listeners and were more likely to experience intermediate outcomes related to family planning such as perception of positive family planning norms, a feeling of self-efficacy, and increased communication with others related to family planning. The study provides lessons for future interventions with the aim of increasing fertility awareness to improve sexual and reproductive health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fertility decline in central and eastern Europe (CEE) since the fall of the communist regimes has been driven by both stopping and postponement of childbearing: two processes that have been related to crisis and economic development, respectively. In the Western Balkans these economic and political contexts followed each other in the form of a biphasic transition. I examine whether this sequence triggered fertility responses like those observed elsewhere. Relying on three independent data sources, I crossvalidate the levels of, and describe the trends in, union formation and fertility (by birth order) between 1980 and 2010. Results do not reveal widespread declines in fertility to lowest-low levels during the most acute period of crisis. The subsequent postponement of marriage and first birth was also limited, and the two-child family remains the norm. This relative resilience of childbearing patterns compared with other CEE countries is discussed with reference to the institutional context [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using General Social Survey data from Japan and the US (N = 5101), we examine the effect of non-standard or non-regular work status on men’s fertility. We employ a cross-national comparative approach to explore how this relationship differs both within and across the two countries. Consistent with features of the Japanese context which make it challenging for non-regular workers to realise the breadwinner role we find a negative effect of non-standard work status on men’s fertility in Japan, but not the US. Specifically, Japanese men employed as non-regular workers have the lowest chances of having a child. Non-regular work status has no such effect on men’s fertility in the US. We also find that the difference in the non-standard work effect between the two countries can be accounted for by differences in the effect of marriage, which illustrates the close connection between marriage and fertility in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taiwan has one of the lowest fertility rates in Asia. High direct and indirect costs of childbearing have been identified as key drivers behind this at the macro-level, but little is known about the mechanism of these influences at the individual-level. In 32 qualitative interviews with parents in Taipei, we sought to explore the salient factors for couples in their decisions about having further children. We identified a tension between gendered expectations of childcare responsibilities and women's desire to ‘build a life of one's own’ – a life with options and the freedom to pursue career and social aspirations. Based on our grounded analysis, we reflect on the high relevance of individualisation, risk society and incomplete gender revolution theories for understanding why many couples – and women in particular – choose to cease childbearing at parity one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines research and advancements focused on improving fertility rates in older women. It discusses the effects of aging on ovaries and reproductive health, contrasting it to trends among women delaying pregnancies until their late thirties due to social, personal, and career factors. Topics covered include gonadotropins, letrozole, and and luteinizing hormone treatments.

The quantum, tempo, and characteristics of population fertility can change rapidly between birth cohorts. Understanding secular trends in fertility behavior can help inform research concerned with family and health policy. The current investigation is novel in that it uses 'intersectional markers of social stratification' with a large sample of women to examine if the average age at last live birth shifted between two birth cohorts. The analysis uses 41,884 observations from the 1990 Decennial 1% Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) file to capture the fertility behavior of lucky few (LF) women (born 1936-1945) and 72,489 observations from the 2010 American Community Survey PUMS file to capture the fertility behavior of late-baby boom (LBB) women (born 1956-1965). The investigation provides empirical evidence that the average age at last live birth decreased in LBB women compared to LF women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduced maternal fertility is the consequence of depletion of follicles with maternal aging. In a 35-year-old woman, approximately 9.1% of the residual follicle pool disappears annually without entering into the growing stage, whereas, in a 45-year-old woman, this number triples. After the age of 35 years, the frequency of aneuploidies in oocytes increases sharply. Roughly 50–70% of mature oocytes from a 40-year-old woman have chromosomal abnormalities. The clinical pregnancy and implantation rates are lower in midlife women. Various controlled ovarian stimulation interventions have been suggested for the management of women in advanced age, most of whom are likely to be poor-responder patients. Currently, systematic reviews and meta-analyses suggest that there is insufficient evidence to recommend most of the treatments proposed to improve pregnancy rates in these poor responders. Minimal stimulation or natural cyclein vitrofertilization may be offered, without compromising the already existing pregnancy results. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives: The aim of our study was to investigate Ukrainian medical students' intentions and attitudes in relation to future parenthood, and their knowledge about fertility.Methods: A classroom survey was carried out of randomly selected groups among 3568 Russian-speaking medical students. The response rate was 88.8%; 858 were female and 407 were male; the mean age was 20.6 (standard deviation [SD] 2.4) years.Results: One in four male and 16% of female respondents did not want to have children, 3.3% had children and 17% wanted one child only. Female respondents wished to have their first child when they were 24.4 (SD 2.4) years of age, and male respondents when they were 26.8 (SD 3.4) years of age. Around 60% of respondents reported there was a pronounced decline in female fertility after the age of 45 years.Conclusions: The desire to have children in the future is not apparent among medical students, especially not among men. Gaps in students' knowledge about fertility need to be addressed by sexual and reproductive education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For patients with ulcerative colitis requiring surgery, surgical options include a total proctocolectomy with an end ileostomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis or a continent reservoir, or instead, a subtotal colectomy with an ileorectal anastomosis. The ileal pouch-anal anastomosis is currently considered the gold standard procedure that is employed in the majority of patients. Despite strong data supporting the feasibility, durability and the maintenance of long term functional outcomes and quality of life, certain controversies pertaining to its relative role, method of creation and effects on related pelvic structures remain a matter of debate. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Professionals compete and cooperate over how states should govern their population. Declining fertility rates in advanced economies have led to debates about how to enable those of reproductive age to have more children and to have them earlier. This springs from political and socio-economic concerns about fulfilling desired fertility rates, maintaining high levels of human capital, and supporting fiscal and pension systems. This article investigates professionals addressing declining fertility through assisted reproductive technologies (ART), including doctors, demographers and economists. These professional groups have their own bodies of knowledge on how they view fertility, fecundity and the role of women in social reproduction. They can also cooperate to create ‘issue linkages’ on ART across their professional ecologies. The article discusses how professionals apply their bodies of knowledge to the political economy of fertility. Professional bodies of knowledge directly inform how women and men are treated on fertility issues and the policy options available. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The low school attainment, early marriage, and low age at first birth of females are major policy concerns in less developed countries. This study jointly estimated the determinants of educational attainment, marriage age, and age at first birth among females aged 12–25 in Madagascar, explicitly accounting for the endogeneities that arose from modelling these related outcomes simultaneously. An additional year of schooling results in a delay to marriage of 1.5 years and marrying 1 year later delays age at first birth by 0.5 years. Parents’ education and wealth also have important effects on schooling, marriage, and age at first birth, with a woman's first birth being delayed by 0.75 years if her mother had 4 additional years of schooling. Overall, our results provide rigorous evidence for the critical role of education—both individual women's own and that of their parents—in delaying the marriage and fertility of young women. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the past, parents' sex preferences for their children have proved difficult to verify. This study used John Knodel's German village genealogies of couples married between 1815 and 1899 to investigate sex preferences for children during the fertility transition. Event history analyses of couples' propensity to progress to a fifth parity was used to test whether the probability of having additional children was influenced by the sex composition of surviving children. It appears that son preference influenced reproductive behaviour: couples having only girls experienced significantly higher transition rates than those having only boys or a mixed sibset. However, couples who married after about 1870 began to exhibit fertility behaviour consistent with the choice to have at least one surviving boy and girl. This result represents a surprisingly early move towards the symmetrical sex preference typical of modern European populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]