title: [Female age - related fertility decline: Far from the myth of the "selfish working-girl" and the "right to have a child"].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the social dimension of age-related female infertility through an analysis of three key themes: the personal life histories of infertile women over 40 years of age; representations of age and the desire to become pregnant after age 40; opinions of French legislations framing Assisted Reproductive Technologies, age limits, egg donation, and egg freezing for non-medical reasons.
  
  
  METHODS
  This qualitative sociological study was based on semi-structured interviews with infertile women over age 40 going through fertility treatments. The interviews contained three parts: personal and relationship histories; experiences related to age; opinions related to French legislation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-three interviews were conducted; each lasting between 90 to 120minutes. Far from having similar life histories, the women interviewed had very different backgrounds leading to their desire for a pregnancy after 40 years of age. From the beginning of their fertility treatments, they perceived a "race against the clock". This feeling of urgency accompanied their experiences and was related to the desire to not be too old for their future child. The women interviewed were mainly in favor of loosening French bioethical laws in order to avoid the need to travel abroad to pursue fertility treatments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The profiles studied attest to a growing gap between biological and biographical temporalities, as well as an inability of women to reduce their desire for a child. Faced with this disparity, egg donation and egg freezing were seen as practical solutions.
authors.affiliation: Centre Norbert Elias-UMR 8562, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, CNRS, Aix Marseille Université, 2, rue de la Charité, 13002 Marseille, France. Electronic address: manon.vialle@ehess.fr.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vialle
authors.affiliation: Pôle Femmes-Parents-Enfants, Centre Clinico-biologique d'AMP-CECOS, AP-HM, l'hôpital de La Conception, 147, boulevard Baille, 13005 Marseille, France; Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, Avignon Université, IMBE UMR 7263, 13397, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Perrin
authors.affiliation: Service de médecine et biologie de la reproduction (SMBR), hôpital Saint-Joseph, 26, boulevard de Louvain, 13008 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amar-Hoffet
authors.affiliation: Service de médecine et biologie de la reproduction (SMBR), hôpital Saint-Joseph, 26, boulevard de Louvain, 13008 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boyer
authors.affiliation: Pôle Femmes-Parents-Enfants, Centre Clinico-biologique d'AMP-CECOS, AP-HM, l'hôpital de La Conception, 147, boulevard Baille, 13005 Marseille, France; Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, Avignon Université, IMBE UMR 7263, 13397, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Courbiere
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015925:Cryopreservation; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008423:Maternal Age; D018587:Oocyte Donation / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D011247:Pregnancy; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology
keywords: AMP; ART; Age-related fertility decline; Autoconservation sociétale des ovocytes; Infertility; Infertilité; Social egg freezing; Âge