title: Social age deadlines for the childbearing of women and men.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study examines whether social age deadlines exist for childbearing in women and men, how they vary across countries, whether they are lower than actual biological deadlines and whether they are associated with childbearing at later ages and the availability of assisted reproduction techniques (ARTs).
  
  
  METHODS
  This study is based on the European Social Survey, Round 3 (2006-2007), which covers 25 countries. Data were gathered on social age deadlines for childbearing in women (21 909 cases) and men (21 239 cases) from samples of representative community-dwelling populations aged 15 and older.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Social age deadlines for childbearing were perceived more frequently for women than men. These deadlines are often lower than actual biological limits, and for women and men alike: 57.2% of respondents perceived a maternal social age deadline ≤ 40 years of age; 46.2% of the respondents perceived a paternal social age deadline ≤ 45 years of age. There is also considerable variability in deadlines across countries, as well as within them. At the country level, the presence of social age deadlines for the childbearing of women was negatively associated with birth rates at advanced ages and the prevalence of ART, and later deadlines were positively associated with these factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is important to understand the factors that increase and limit late fertility. While biological factors condition fertility, so do social expectations. These findings provide widespread evidence across Europe that social limits exist alongside biological ones, though both sets of factors are more binding for women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Decision Sciences, Carlo F Dondena Centre for Research on Social Dynamics and IGIER, Bocconi University, Roentgen 1, 20136 Milan, Italy. billari@unibocconi.it
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Billari
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goisis
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Liefbroer
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Settersten
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aassve
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hagestad
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Spéder
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D001723:Birth Rate; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000502:physiology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D008875:Middle Aged; D010331:Paternal Age; D043762:Reproductive Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / Q000523:psychology; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012945:Social Values; D055815:Young Adult