Fertility After 35: Separating Science from Scaremongering

The "fertility cliff" narrative is more complex than headlines suggest. Here's what the research actually shows.

The media loves a dramatic fertility narrative: your eggs have an expiry date, and it's 35. The reality is more nuanced. Yes, fertility declines with age — that's biology. But the decline is gradual, not a cliff. The landmark study most headlines cite was based on French birth records from the 1700s. Modern medicine tells a different story. At 35, the average monthly chance of conception is about 15-20%. At 40, it's closer to 5-10%. These are averages — individual variation is enormous. The most important factor isn't your age alone, but your specific ovarian reserve and overall health.

This is the kind of nuanced, evidence-based information that I believe every patient deserves access to. Fertility medicine is complex, and the internet is full of conflicting advice. My goal with these resources is to help you separate signal from noise — so you can make decisions based on science, not fear.

If you have questions about anything covered here, don't hesitate to reach out. I'm always happy to clarify.