Explain why infertility in women increases with advancing age, and how ART methods can overcome this problem in
older women. What will be an ideal response?
ANSWER: Infertility in women becomes more common with increasing age; up to one-third of couples
in their late 30s are infertile.
The discovery that the age of the egg, not the age of the reproductive system, is a leading
factor responsible for age-related infertility makes it possible for women in their late 50s or
even into their 60s to become pregnant using IVF and eggs donated by younger women. This
discovery also means that younger women can safely postpone childbearing until they are
older without having to rely on donated eggs. Women can have their eggs collected and
fertilized while they are young and frozen for later use. This form of ART allows younger
women to produce embryos at a time when their risks for chromosome abnormalities in the
offspring are low. The embryos can be thawed and implanted over a period of years—
including after menopause—allowing women to extend their childbearing years.
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