Welcome to POPSUGAR Uninhibited: The Fertility Edition, a space where anyone who ovulates can come for information, advice and support. Here, we’ll tackle topics like fertility in your 20s, conception and egg freezing. You can find all of the stories here.
If you’re in your early or mid-20s and hear the term “fertility”, you likely think, “I don’t need to worry about that yet”. However, even if you aren’t planning on having kids anytime soon, thinking about your fertility in your 20s can alleviate a lot of emotional and financial pressure later on.
Thinking about your fertility in your 20s means you’re more likely to make choices that benefit your health, wellbeing and fertility in your 30s, says Sophie Walker, host of “Australian Birth Stories” and author of “The Complete Australian Guide to Pregnancy and Birth“.
“If you have a pre-existing medical condition that may affect your fertility, such as endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), your health specialist may recommend you start thinking about starting a family earlier rather than later,” Walker tells POPSUGAR Australia. “If you are advised that fertility assistance may be required, you can look into the success rate for your age.”
Future family planning and deciding whether you do or don’t want kids is a very personal decision, and it’s one that should be made without pressure from those close to you. After all, you’re the on who will be growing, birthing, feeding and raising your child, Walker says.
“That said, sometimes we have no idea that our biological clock exists until we wake up one morning consumed by thoughts of having a baby,” Walker says. Next thing you know, she says, people who menstruate (PWM) can be struck by “an undeniably strong primal urge” to have a child, “and it may come out of nowhere.
Regardless, Walker says, it’s never a bad idea to learn more about your menstrual cycle and how it all works when it comes to fertility. In fact, many of us stay on hormonal birth control well into our 20s and don’t truly get to know our menstrual cycle until later on.
Noting that it’s “just not common knowledge”, Walker adds that when it comes time to begin trying to conceive, many PWM have “have no idea about ovulation, their fertile window, how to track their menstrual cycle.”
So, let’s change that. Below are four reasons it’s worth thinking about your fertility in your 20s, according to Walker.
Your Fertility Is a Strong Indicator of Your Overall Health
According to Walker, your menstrual cycle is a strong indicator of your overall health.
“There’s a significant lack of information shared about our menstrual cycles when we hit puberty,” Walker says. This means that PWM simply “aren’t aware of what happens during their cycle, when their fertile window is, and how their cycle (and the quantity and colour of their menstrual blood) reflects their overall health.”
While there is more education around menstruation now, thanks to mainstream media, outspoken social media advocates and even through some educational changes, Walker says that there still needs to be more awareness around menstrual cycles and what they mean in relation to health and fertility.
“The length and regularity of your menstrual cycle — and whether or not you ovulate — are really important factors when it comes to conception,” Walker says. “Establishing and maintaining a healthy cycle in your 20s is a great first step towards conceiving later on.”
Many Couples Experience Infertility
Did you know that 1 in 6 Australian couples experience infertility? Age is one of the biggest factors, Walker says.
“We know that fertility starts to decline in your mid-30s, which means that starting to think about your fertility and future plans for a family in your 20s is the perfect time.”
With an estimated 5 percent of pregnancies achieved with fertility assistance, there is only a small portion of the population who is privileged enough to be able to afford such assistance. By starting to think about fertility in your 20s, you’ll have time to plan (and save money, if necessary), should you run into infertility issues in the future.
Basically, it’s always best to be one step ahead.
It’s Not Just About the Eggs — Sperm Matters, Too
Infertility is something that affects all people, regardless of their sex and gender identity. And, according to Walker, we need to be having louder conversations about it.
“Overall, sperm count is declining; which contributes 50 percent to infertility within couples,” Walker says, adding: “We know that declining sperm count is largely affected by endocrine disruptors, namely pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, toxic gases and other synthetic materials.”
What this means, Walker says, is that the lifestyle habits you embrace in your 20s can have a lasting effect on your fertility moving forward, and people who produce sperm aren’t necessarily aware of that.
Fertility Is an Important Issue for Trans People
For trans people, future fertility is a big consideration if they are choosing medical or surgical affirming treatment, says Walker.
“Fertility preservation is often discussed before a person opts for medical or surgical gender affirming treatment and this includes sperm freezing, egg freezing and embryo freezing (fertilising eggs and freezing the embryos).”
It’s a consideration that must be made carefully and with the future in mind. While someone may be on a journey of transition, they might not know if they’ll want kids in the future, or whether they’d like to do that alone or with a partner. In any case, it’s amazing to have that conversation earlier, rather than later. And, if they’re not sure, having the option there is a privilege.
