Editor’s Note: On Nov. 15, 2012, Western News celebrated its 40th anniversary with a special edition asking 40 Western researchers to share the 40 THINGS WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEXT 40 YEARS. This is one of those entries. To view the entire anniversary issue, visit the Western News archives.
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What’s wrong with normal ways of reproducing? Well, nothing really. But even back in 2012, it was clear societal changes were enforcing dramatic shifts in how we reproduce.
Back then, one in three Canadian couples over the age of 35 required the assistance of a fertility clinic to conceive. That number seems incredibly low now (in 2052) as more than 80 per cent of all of our children come into the world with the assistance of a fertility clinic. In fact, only half of our couples decide to have children at all, and when they do, they tend to be in their late 40s or early 50s and most of the time have just one child.
Our overall reproduction rate is only three-quarters of a child per couple. This, of course, is well below our population replacement rate and, even with enhancements to immigration, Canada’s population is shrinking; the overall world population has peaked and is beginning to slowly fall back downward as well.
What led to these profound changes?
Education is a huge factor. Worldwide, the majority of women now complete high school and most also continue on to complete a university degree. In every country where the education of women has advanced that country has become less violent and more progressive. However, this is also accompanied in every case by sharp declines in population growth and family size.
Our civilization has also become more in touch with our impact on the planet and the most important principal driving our society now is ‘sustainability’ not ‘constant growth’.
How have we adjusted to these profound societal changes? Well, science, as always, has led the way.
Even back in 2012, it was possible to produce children and families by the application of assisted reproductive technologies. Science was beginning to understand how to develop methods such as fertility preservation, create artificial gametes (eggs and sperm) and determine which embryos have the best chances of creating a pregnancy and which ones do not.
In 2052, it is now routine for everyone to have their genome sequenced, stem cells collected and banked, and put off having a family until the late 40s and early 50s simply because average lifespan is now well into the 90s for both males and females. To enable these events, it is now common for women to undergo ovarian biopsies so their ovarian tissue can be cryopreserved to retain their youthful fertility and be re-implanted back into their bodies later on to allow for natural conception to occur. In addition to extending their fertility, this also staves off menopause, improves cardiovascular health, reduces bone loss and greatly prolongs female longevity.
Human cloning has been possible for decades now, but is still considered to be unethical and thus is not used as a reproductive technology in 2052. However, stem cells are now being routinely used to fight disease and maintain overall health. They are also being used to create artificial gametes that enable couples who cannot provide their own natural gametes to reproduce.
These methods of reproduction have freed couples to have a family when it is the best possible time for them to do so. Women no longer worry about a ‘biological clock’. Very few unwanted pregnancies occur now and virtually all children are brought up in healthy family situations and nurtured to adulthood.
Science has allowed the application of these methods to the reproduction of animal species as well. We now have bio-banks where the genetics of every mammalian species is preserved. We have learned to apply assisted reproductive technologies to ensure the reproduction of most mammals and this has had a direct impact on ensuring that endangered species will not disappear from our planet.
Collectively, these advances in reproductive science have disconnected intercourse from reproduction and have reinforced the social bonding of this intimate act, resulting in a much more benevolent society that is not perfect, but is certainly more idyllic – all due to a bit of science freeing us from the biological constraints of our reproductive function.
Andy Watson is a professor in the Departments of Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Physiology & Pharmacology in Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.