Fertility/Future of Sex event idea?

[user1469027705]

I'm hoping I can pick your brains? I work at New Scientist and I want to organise a fun and interesting social event for mums.

Out of interest, would any of you be tempted to attend a one-day event looking at fertility science and the future of sex? The kinds of topics I'd like to cover would be developments in IVF, extreme new fertility treatments, and reversing the menopause.

Does that sound intriguing, or would you be more interested in any other ideas? Would you like to hear from fertility scientists, or would you rather it was more of a discussion between mums, experts and journalists?

I'm trying to work out if this is something mums would want to go to. We run other kinds of events, but I'd really like to find a way to best celebrate and question the latest in fertility science.

Think you need to find a way to engage men. The public discourse for years has been:

WOMEN MUST HAVE BABIES EARLIER, THEY ARW SELFISH AND AMBITIOS HARRIDIANS IS THEY DONT

Which rather ignores the fact that 50% of fertility cases for older couples are male factor (including me and DH).

Think there are three areas worth exploring, currently v under discussed:

1. male priorities and fertility for couples to have babies earlier men need to get on board and need to realise their fertility declines with age too. This is a societal and identity issue. Men need to accept their responsibility for fertility, rather than believeing it's women's problem. This isn't Tudor England any more. Society needs to better support younger parents.

2. how better medical nutritional and lifestyle advice can be available earlier to all couples. Too often your gps response is 'well you're not yet old enough / have been trying long enough for fertility treatment'. Or 'second baby, so no nhs help at all'. But there is lots couples could do, themselves with some cheap tests and support from the NHS. Female hormone tests and sperm analysis should be available to all couples, no matter how long they have been trying. Follow up support on lifestyle and nutrition could help the 30% of couples who conceive naturally after IVF get there without the need for all that expense and trauma.

3. the affects of hormonal birth control on fertility. Having previously been fertile (two natural pregnancies) my hormonal cycle has been disrupted by just three months of cerazette. I've spoken to several fertility constultants and each roll their eyes and say cerazette is notorious for this. IF ONLY ID KNOWN BEFORE , as I specifically went to my gp looking for low impact birth control as we knew we'd want to conceive soon. How can women get better information on the risks of ongoing impact of hormonal birth control on their fertility? There is a conspiracy by the pharma companies to keep this quiet as the business of the pill is so good.

Thanks! Agree that this is an issue for men too, and not just an obligation for women.

Would you be more interested in an event giving you all the facts about fertility and starting a family than a day spent discussing new ideas and future solutions?

think you have two different events for two different audiences there.

the first (facts about fertility) has a wider audience but is potentially harder to reach (since most people assume this will be easy for them until it isn't). having said that, many women do think about it, I certainly was in my late 20s, single and unhappy. I took steps to change my lifestyle then, and I am grateful I did so as I believe the foundations I laid have empowered me to two successful pregnancies after 35 even though the road has been rockier than i'd like, and waylaid by issues like the pill and DH's fertility that I just didn't know about.

The second group is smaller but probably easier to reach through fertility boards here and on fertility friends etc. once you're in that world you are hungry for information .And my experience of private treatment is that you have to do your research and pro-actively manage your doctors to get the best out of it.