Everyone's efforts to conceive

We are asking people about their desire to have children now and in the future, over the years. The percentage of unmarried men and women (18-29 years old) who do not want children has been steadily increasing, and this year it finally exceeded 50%. Furthermore, looking at the results by gender, more men than women do not want children, with approximately 60% of men responding that they do not want children.

Among unmarried men and women who said they did not want children, about one in five (men and women combined), and about one in four (women who face significant age-related limitations regarding pregnancy), said they wanted to maintain a physical condition that would allow them to have children if their feelings changed in the future.

Furthermore, it was found that about one in five women (18-39 years old) who do not want children now or in the future, but want to keep the possibility of having children open in case their thinking changes in the future (to maintain a physical condition that allows them to have children if they wish), are interested in "egg freezing."

On the other hand, 68.8% of women who have actually conceived a child after trying to get pregnant (age 18-44 at the time of childbirth; current age if pregnant) responded that "getting pregnant is more difficult than they imagined before starting to try to get pregnant," and 58.4% responded that "it would have been better to start trying to get pregnant earlier" (the percentages shown are the sum of "applies" and "somewhat applies").
In all categories, the percentage of responses tends to increase as the mother's age at childbirth increases.

For women who have conceived a child after trying to get pregnant (age 18-44 at the time of childbirth; current age if pregnant), the average time it took from starting to try to conceive to actually getting pregnant was 13.6 months. This period increased in proportion to the age at the time of childbirth, with a difference of 12.8 months between women around 20 years old and those around 40 years old.

65.0% of women who have conceived a child after trying to get pregnant said they "wish they had acquired accurate knowledge about pregnancy and childbirth when they were younger," and 67.5% said they "lacked opportunities to acquire knowledge about pregnancy" (the percentages are the sum of "applies" and "somewhat applies").

Looking at current sources of information regarding fertility treatment and childbirth, among married men and women (ages 25-44) who want to have children someday, women primarily obtain information from internet searches, while men primarily obtain information from their partners. This suggests a pattern where women proactively search the internet and then share that information with their male partners.

Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. advocates "Two-Person Fertility Treatment" through its corporate activities, meaning that both women and men should face the challenge of fertility treatment together with their partners.
This year, 51.3% of married men and women who want to have children someday are participating in "couple-based fertility planning," a slight increase from last year.
However, as mentioned above, there is still room for improvement regarding the gender gap in knowledge about fertility treatment.

Shifting our perspective slightly to women's careers and pregnancy, we find that among young, unmarried women (18-29 years old), those with an annual income exceeding the average for women in their 20s (over 3 million yen) have a lower percentage of women who do not want children (27.9%). This suggests that employed women with stable incomes are actually more likely to desire children than other young women.

In contrast, 50.7% of women who have conceived a child after undergoing fertility treatment (ages 18-44 at the time of childbirth) responded that "fertility treatment necessitated changes to their work or career plans," and 76.5% responded that "it is difficult to continue fertility treatment while balancing work" (the percentages shown are the sum of "applies" and "somewhat applies").

While many still say they don't want children, a closer look reveals a spectrum and fluctuations in their opinions. For example, unmarried working women among younger generations tend to desire children, and some who don't want children now want to keep the possibility open in case their feelings change in the future.
With news about systems related to fertility treatment and egg freezing increasing, the options and possibilities have become visibly more diverse these days. What I felt through the survey was a positive will to choose a life that is true to oneself, considering career, age, economic situation, and various other factors not only for the present but also for the future, while grappling with these concerns. And there was a sense that "options" themselves hold great value and potential, and are a great source of reassurance for moving forward in life.
One of the important things that supports such "choices" is appropriate education and knowledge. However, even though people have received "sex education" at school and have basic knowledge about contraception, there are few opportunities to learn about "how to conceive," such as planning for conception and childbirth, and the gender gap remains significant.
Based on these results, I felt it's important to provide opportunities for everyone—not just those actively trying to conceive, but everyone who hopes to have children someday, regardless of age or gender—to acquire basic knowledge about the body involved in conception and the process of fertility and childbirth. Because the "choices" needed to think about and choose a life that suits you should begin there.
Encouraged by the lessons learned from this survey, Rohto Pharmaceutical will continue to work closely with everyone, listening to the voices of each individual and supporting the ever-changing society, so that everyone can choose a life that is true to themselves. We hope to move forward little by little together with you.