I’d say half my friends have had trouble conceiving, many probably will not ever have kids, and a decent chunk of my cousins as well had trouble or weren’t able to. It’s not just that people don’t have cousins
> I’d say half my friends have had trouble conceiving
There's probably statistics out there but I've not looked into it - but anecdotally I also know a large contingent of people who've had issues conceiving. Many late 20s, too - people always seem to think it's more common in your 30s but so many of them were confused by the experience.
Increasingly people feel pressure or obligation to go to college and spend their 20s getting established in a career. By the time they feel ready to have kids it's more likely they'll have trouble.
I don’t think they are mistaken though? Housing and childcare are multiples more expensive than a generation ago, makes sense people need to feel established.
I get that but I think the other point is equally significant. After college it's fun to make money, travel, date around... generally continue exploring yourself and the world and having few responsibilities.
As someone in my early 20s, I can barely even take care of myself (and that's pushing it). At this stage of my life, I can't imagine being able to give a child everything a parent needs to give them.
Lot of blame gets placed on women too and sometimes it's misplaced. At-home sperm testing kits should really be covered by insurance considering how cheap and easy they are[0].
