Public perspectives on placing age limits on men and women seeking fertility treatment

To assess public attitudes toward placing age limits on men and women seeking fertility treatment.

Cross-sectional web-based survey.

Not applicable.

A nationally representative sample of 1,427 adults in the United States.

Not applicable.

Support for placing age limits on people seeking fertility treatment.

Sixty-seven percent of respondents supported placing age limits on women, whereas 57% supported placing age limits on men seeking fertility treatments. Sixty-four percent agreed with current American Society for Reproductive Medicine guidelines that ET should not be undertaken beyond age 55 years. Whereas 55% of respondents supported placing age limits on both men and women, 12% supported age limits on women but not men, and 3% supported age limits on men but not women. Men were more likely to answer discordantly when compared with female respondents. Individuals older than 50 years, who lived in the western United States, or with a personal knowledge of someone who used assisted reproductive technology were more likely to support age limits on both women and men seeking fertility treatments. Sexual minorities, people without biological children, and single, long-term partnered or divorced/widowed respondents were less likely to support age limits on men or women seeking fertility treatments.

Fifty-five percent of respondents in a nationally representative sample support upper age limits on both men and women seeking fertility treatments. Support was associated with various demographic characteristics. Men were more likely than women to support age limits only on women.