Everyone's efforts to conceive

The adoption rate of "two-person fertility treatment," where both women and men face the challenge together and move forward side by side with their partner, has been on a downward trend since last year, but is returning to pre-COVID levels.

We are asking people over time whether they want children now and in the future. Over the past three years, the percentage of 18-29 year olds who answered "I don't want children" has been gradually increasing from just over 40% overall.
Looking at the data by gender, we see an increase for both men and women from 2020 to 2022. In particular, more than half of men this year said they did not want children.

We are asking unmarried men and women aged 18 to 29 about their reasons for not wanting children.

Over the past five years, there has been a growing trend in how people perceive "fertility treatment" (or "trying to conceive"), shifting from viewing it as something that only those who desire children do. This suggests a broadening of people's understanding of fertility treatment.

There are signs that fertility treatment is now being seen not only as actions directly related to pregnancy, such as visiting a clinic or engaging in sexual intercourse, but also as everyday activities like discussing future life plans together and managing one's health.

Both married and unmarried respondents, 80-90%, said they were unfamiliar with the term "preconception care." This indicates that most people are unaware of it.

In particular, among married men and women, only about 20% responded that they "don't know any of this information," suggesting that the remaining 80% possess some knowledge. It has become clear that knowledge about health management before pregnancy, including information related to the bodies of women and men individually, as well as information related to both sexes, is spreading. Even if people are not familiar with the term "preconception care," it seems that knowledge about their own bodies and health is already spreading.

The results showed that approximately 30% of married men and women engage in daily health and physical management, as well as communication with their partners, while less than 20% engage in self-checks and self-care related to pregnancy.

Now that knowledge is beginning to spread, what kind of triggers are needed to translate that knowledge into more action in the future?

While it's just a sign, advice from a partner, regardless of marital status, seems likely to be a catalyst for action. Furthermore, for married individuals in particular, increased support from the workplace and local government could potentially encourage preconception care (health management before pregnancy). Ultimately, it seems necessary for information, support, and systems to become more readily available and widespread within the workplace and community, which are central to our lives.

In today's world, the number of people who say they don't want children in the future is increasing year by year. We also heard many voices from people who don't have a positive image of pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing due to anxieties about the future. In this changing society and environment, and in a world where diverse values are spreading, we were also able to catch a glimpse of the voices and realities of people who are gaining knowledge about their own bodies and health and facing fertility treatments in a positive way.
People who feel anxious about having children are not necessarily lacking in knowledge; they may simply need incentives or support systems to encourage them to take action.
Preconception care is about understanding and taking action regarding your own body and health, for your own sake and for your future, regardless of whether you hope to have children in the future. Taking care of yourself and valuing yourself, deepening your understanding with your partner and working together on "pregnancy planning as a couple," and creating a supportive societal environment are becoming increasingly important.
At Rohto Pharmaceutical, we will continue our efforts to raise awareness and take action regarding proactive physical health so that each individual can live a well-being-oriented life in their own way. Furthermore, we want to listen to the voices of "everyone" and work together with those who are creating society and the future, transcending the boundaries of companies and industries.