The number of people using assisted reproduction increased by more than 8,824 in 2022 compared with 2021, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said yesterday, adding that there was also a 45 percent spike in people older than 50 accessing treatment.
The HPA reported 58,476 cases of assisted reproduction in 2022, with 11,549 successful births — 6,138 of which were boys and 5,411 were girls — or an increase of 2,605 births compared with 2020 and 1,775 compared with 2021.
There were 11,615 cases, or a 19.9 percent increase, for those aged between 30 and 34; 21,136 cases, or a 36.1 percent increase, for the 35-to-39 age group; 19,465 cases, or a 33.3 percent increase, for ages 40 to 44; and 355 cases, or a 45 percent increase, for those aged 50 and older, it said.
Photo: CNA
The No. 1 reason for unsuccessful fertilization was multiple complicating factors, at 36.2 percent, followed by ovarian issues at 32.6 percent and male factors — such as low testosterone or infertility — at 7.8 percent, the HPA said.
Pregnancy and live birthrates are significantly correlated with the age of the women, the HPA said, adding that past 40 years old, the chance of success starts to decline.
Data from 2022 show that for those younger than 35, the success rate of fresh embryo versus frozen embryo transfers was 38.6 percent and 56.3 percent respectively, which decreased to 13.5 percent and 27.7 percent for those older than 40.
In 1998, the average age of a woman undergoing assisted reproductive treatment was 32 years old, which increased to 38 years old by 2022, while the number of cases increased eightfold from 6,500 in 2001 to 58,476 in 2022, the report said.
The number of cases increased after the government expanded subsidies for assisted reproduction on July 1, 2021, rising 52.7 percent from 2020 to 2022, the report said.
People should have children at the right time, Maternal and Child Health Division Deputy Director Tsai Wei-yi (蔡維誼) said, referring to the increase in the number of women aged 40 to 44 undergoing treatment.
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