Everyone's efforts to conceive

This year saw a record high number of young, unmarried men and women who do not want children. However, among those who have gone through fertility treatments and now believe that having children is a good thing, 49.6% responded that they "were not sure before whether they wanted children" or "did not want children before." This result clearly shows that attitudes towards having children are easily changed.

When we asked men and women who had tried to conceive and whose views on having children had changed, about 30% of the women said their age or their experience in marriage had made them more positive about having children. On the other hand, about 30% of the men said they began to consider having children while dating their spouse.

Attitudes towards having children are constantly changing, and perspectives are becoming increasingly diverse.
To understand attitudes toward fertility treatment, we categorized men and women without children into five types based on their level of practice in fertility treatment and preconception care, as well as the strength of their desire to have children.

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The reality varies greatly, from those who are eager to conceive to those who are hesitant about having children.

There were significant differences in the amount of knowledge, information access, and life planning related to fertility treatment among the participants, and their anxieties also varied.

From here, we will introduce the characteristics of each of the five types. We have also included "recommended first steps" for each type.
I hope this will be helpful when you decide to start trying to conceive.

Many people still say they don't want children. However, what we aimed for this time was to gain a more concrete understanding of the diversifying attitudes towards fertility among young people, which we glimpsed from last year's wavering "I don't want children, but I want to keep the possibility of conceiving open" among those preparing for fertility treatment.
Through this year's survey, we gained three specific insights into the diversification and evolution of attitudes towards fertility treatment. First, there is the existence of "men actively seeking to conceive," a phenomenon unique to the Reiwa era. Second, the continued existence and increase of those "preparing for fertility treatment" as in the previous year. Third, there is a group that could be called the "fertility treatment awareness switch group," who feel that they were glad to have had children after going through fertility treatment, even though they didn't initially want them.
In particular, this year's new insights about "men trying to conceive" highlight their main actions, such as "discussing, researching, and being considerate," as they understand that their partner is the one who will actually be physically pregnant and give birth. Their approach to fertility is not about being the main character or a supporting character, but rather about taking proactive steps with consideration for their partner and exploring what kind of family they can create—a truly admirable sight.
What I also realized through these three insights is the coexistence of conflicting emotions and values, such as "I don't want children, but I want to keep the possibility open," "Regardless of gender, let's actively do what we can for each other," and "I didn't want children, but I'm glad I had them." Holding onto these conflicting feelings may be unstable and anxiety-inducing. However, the fact that my own unique present and future are actually emerging from this may provide clues for the future.
Through this survey, Rohto Pharmaceutical has reaffirmed the importance of not only grasping major societal trends, but also focusing on the real lives of each individual living within them, and helping them create their own unique lives. We look forward to continuing to think and move forward together with you.