Generation Z is proactively addressing their reproductive health at a greater rate than previous generations. A survey from HRC Fertility found that three in five members are concerned about their future fertility.
The Centers for Disease Control defines infertility as “not being able to get pregnant (conceive) after one year (or longer) of unprotected sex.” According to a report published by the World Health Organization (WHO), “Around 17.5% of the adult population – roughly 1 in 6 worldwide – experience infertility.”
The risk of infertility is directly related to a person’s age as there is a gradual decline in fertility over time. Many providers begin screening for issues that could cause infertility when a patient is 35 or older and has been attempting to conceive for six months. That approach can restrict avenues that might be available with early intervention.With social media’s help, Generation Z is seeking to explore their options a bit sooner.
Sahar Wertheimer, MD, sees this increase in young women addressing concerns about their future fertility. “I would say most of them are coming proactively, which is what I love to see,” she tells ESSENCE. “The majority of them, if they’re in that age range, are doing it proactively as an insurance policy.”
This behavior is distinctly different from previous generations and the way they have sought treatment.
“Previous generations, they would come to us after they’ve already tried to conceive, and something may not be going the way they had anticipated,” says Nicole A. Bell, MD, FACOG. She now has patients asking to get preemptively screened for diabetes and “things that could otherwise complicate a pregnancy.”
This proactive approach, Bell says, reflects the way she sees Gen Z deal with many aspects of life presently. “I think it’s probably their approach or their way of just addressing things in general. I find this generation of young women to be a lot more proactive in terms of wanting to seize anything that could possibly impede them from becoming pregnant such as PCOS or concerns with fibroids or endometriosis. These are things that unfortunately for a lot of people previously, they may have found out in hindsight,” she says.
Wertheimer thinks previous generations could have benefited from a similar proactive approach, saying, “I hate when I see patients come in and they’re too late to do something about it,” she says.
Bell agrees. “In terms of if there are concerns that can be addressed, either surgically or medically beforehand, sometimes it’s better to be aware of that and have a better understanding of the timeline.”
Sharon Mills, a 26-year-old public relations and experiential marketing professional, sought to inquire about potential fertility challenges at 24. She went on what she describes as a “health kick” that inspired her to take a forward approach to her reproductive health. She says she wanted to know, “Is my body capable of carrying a child for nine months?”
She wanted to be on top of any health concerns that could impede her ability to have a child, but at the time, Mills was not planning on having children for some time — like many people in her age bracket. A census study published in 2022 found that “fertility rates of women ages 20-24 declined by 43%.” Only 2% of Gen Z respondents on OkCupid say that having children is at the top of their five-year plan.
“Being realistic, I don’t know when I’m gonna have kids,” Mills says. “I don’t know when this could happen, but I want to make sure that my body is ready for when it does happen.”
Part of what prompts Gen Z patients to seek accurate information from their healthcare providers is their access to all kinds of information swirling around social media. According to a 2022 survey published by CharityRX, “Nearly 1 in 5 Americans trust health influencers more than medical professionals in their community,” and “37% turn to influencers for health advice because they are easier to access than medical professionals.”
Bell sees the influence of social media on the patients visiting her practice. “They tend to definitely go straight to technology sources first,” she says. Bell has Gen Z patients interested in learning about egg freezing. “We still technically have a biological timeline in terms of conceiving, and so you certainly now have more women asking questions about egg preservation.”
Freezing eggs is a vital part of in vitro fertilization. Commonly known as IVF, the process is defined as the joining of a woman’s egg and a man’s sperm in a laboratory dish by the National Library of Medicine. WHO reports that in vitro fertilization remains “inaccessible to many due to high costs.”
Mills, a government employee, is less concerned about the financial aspect of seeking healthcare than her peers, actively participating in the gig economy. “A lot of them are either freelancers or they’re working for [the] private sector, and they have these broad co-pays,” she says. The potential cost of infertility treatments can impact career choices. For Mills, she is unlikely to abandon government service “because of healthcare specifically.”
With costs in mind, HRC Fertility has addressed this by providing an option to patients, allowing them to freeze their eggs for $ 3,500, significantly increasing the availability of this service by breaking the fee down into monthly installments. By starting on their own timeline, Gen Z can ensure that they have enough time to pursue the best options for their circumstances.
Wertheimer clarifies that “Egg freezing is really just the first half of IVF” and the most “affordable” portion of the pricey process. It is not entirely without financial risk, but it provides more choices to patients planning to expand their families later. “It’s not a guarantee, but it’s definitely a great insurance policy for the future,” she says.
Wertheimer sees a patient being motivated to visit a doctor for any reason, including what they’ve come across online, as a positive thing. She’s glad that Gen Z is taking charge, asking the right questions about their health.
“They saw some information somewhere, and they took it upon themselves to come in and educate themselves by a verified source,” she says. “That means that maybe somebody out there got through to them.”