Is IVF Bad Due to the Size of World Population?

Depending on who you ask, some might tell you that in vitro fertilization, also known as IVF, and other fertility procedures are bad because of the current size of the world’s population. With the increased use of fertility procedures and the advances in the science behind the treatments, multiple births are on the rise. Some see this as a bad thing as Earth’s population continues to rise. Shows like Jon & Kate Plus 8 and coverage of a woman dubbed ‘Octomom’ by the media has added to the awareness of couples or women who have multiple babies through fertility procedures such as in vitro fertilization.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) there were 137,217 twin births in the United States in 2009. That was 33.2 per 1,000 live births. The number of triplet births was at 5,905 with 153.5 triplet or higher births per 100,000 live births. According to one report, the rate of twin births in 1980 was at 68,000, and the number of triplet births in the same year was 1,337.

So there’s no question that the multiple birth rates have risen, but is anything being done to halt the growing instances of multiple pregnancies resulting from fertility procedures and treatment?

In the United Kingdom, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) encouraged clinics in the country to reduce the amount of multiple births to 24% or less in 2009 and 2010. The percentage of multiple births following fertility treatment was 22% between 2008 and the first half of 2009, according to HFEA. That was down from 23.6%. The clinics have encouraged women to transfer only one embryo at a time when undergoing procedures like IVF, instead of the multiple embryos often transferred to improve the odds of success. HFEA set the guidelines to reduce health risks that are associated with multiple pregnancies.

On the other end of the spectrum, the United States anticipates a rising elderly population as babies born in the baby boom era become senior citizens. Some are worried that the increased number of senior citizens could have an adverse effect on social security, and could lead to rising medical costs in the country. As far as an increasing world population, some worry that it could lead to a depletion of natural resources as more people are on the Earth that require them for survival or demand them to maintain a certain standard of living.

Viewpoints differ, and each couple is entitled to take these factors into consideration how they please and decide whether the procedure is right for them.

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