title: Reproductive ageing and conflicting clocks: King Midas' touch.
abstract: The population attempting pregnancy and having babies is ageing. Gynaecological and obstetric complications worsen with age. Maternity services are struggling. Increasing rates of infertility and complications are not matched by the marvels in the laboratory. This paper argues that assisted reproduction treatment has had a damaging social impact. Despite its public acclaim, it helps few and fails many more. The assisted reproduction industry could take a new and revolutionary direction towards empowering men to experience pregnancy, producing babies from artificial gametes, with a final goal being the liberation of both women and men from the burdens and dangers of pregnancy through the development of artificial wombs.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Family Research, University of Cambridge, Women's Health Academic Centre, Kings College London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: icd21@cam.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Irenee
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Daly
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bewley
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate / Q000639:trends*; D011640:Public Policy; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000941:ethics / Q000639:trends*
keywords: IVF; assisted reproduction technology; feminism; male reproduction; older motherhood