Abstract
ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the trend of human fecundity over time in China.MethodsThis retrospective study was conducted in Tongliao, China. Couples who were married during the time period between January 1, 1981 and December 31, 2003 were considered eligible for this study. A total of 27,413 individuals provided valid information via house-to-house interviews. The 12-month cumulative pregnancy rate (CPR) and annual percentage change were used as the outcome measurements.ResultsThere was a significant increase in the CPR over the five successive time groups. A break point in 1988 divided the entire study period into two distinct segments: 1981–1988, during which the CPR increased from 72.2% to 84.2%, and 1988–2003, during which the CPR increased from 84.2% to 87.2%.ConclusionsThe findings were unlikely to be the result of biases, and could not be explained by increased medical treatment for infertility and changes in the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases. Dramatic societal and behavioral changes due to the unique family planning policy and economic reform policies in China might have been the plausible reason for the results.
Highlights
Evidence of a secular decline in sperm concentrations in some populations [1,2,3,4], together with the growing demands for assisted reproductive technology (ART) [5,6,7], have led to the PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0165097 October 27, 2016Fecundity Increasing in China conjecture that human fecundity, defined as the probability of a couple conceiving within a menstrual cycle, has been declining in recent decades
There was a significant increase in the cumulative pregnancy rate (CPR) over the five successive time groups
A break point in 1988 divided the entire study period into two distinct segments: 1981–1988, during which the CPR increased from 72.2% to 84.2%, and 1988–2003, during which the CPR increased from 84.2% to 87.2%
Summary
This retrospective study was conducted in Tongliao, China. Couples who were married during the time period between January 1, 1981 and December 31, 2003 were considered eligible for this study. A total of 27,413 individuals provided valid information via house-tohouse interviews. The 12-month cumulative pregnancy rate (CPR) and annual percentage change were used as the outcome measurements
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