Study Reveals Large Number of Older Women Are Voluntarily Childless

Common Perceptions Not Always Accurate, Public Health Campaigns May be Misdirected

Contrary to the public perception that all childless women are generally unhappy with their condition, the study shows that assumptions of older, childless women being dissatisfied with their status do not apply to the largest group of childless older women.

"Our research leads to the notion that for some women, childbearing might not have even been part of an equation," says Joyce Abma, Ph.D., lead author of the study. "Public impressions that all older childless women are eager to start a family and 'beat the odds' of increasing infertility stand to be refined." Public health campaigns to encourage women to begin childbearing before age-related issues begin are, perhaps, not relevant for a larger subgroup of women than previously realized.

It seems like every statistical study released these days somehow vindicates the childfree - but this one has particularly notable dimensions. Perhaps the only problem is making sure people find out about this. I'm afraid the Hewlett-type assumption that every woman must want a baby sill continue to prevail.

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