Thirtysomethings could routinely conceive babies using IVF within a decade because it will have become better than sex as a means of reproduction, scientists have predicted.
According to a new report, advances in IVF technology mean it will be possible to produce embryos with a success rate of virtually 100% and cultivate them in computer-controlled storage facilities.
The advance will ease the pressure on couples who have delayed having children until their late thirties or forties, perhaps to pursue a career.
They may routinely opt for IVF rather than sex to reproduce, giving themselves a greater chance of conceiving through IVF than young adults in peak condition, who have only a one-in-four chance a month of conceiving naturally.
Among over-35s, the chance of natural conception falls to less than one in 10. Modern fertility techniques have meant the healthiest couples already have a 50:50 chance of success using IVF, but the authors of the report, just published in the journal Reproductive BioMedicine Online, say this is just the beginning.