Last updated on August 11, 2021

Caddle wanted to understand how Canadians feel about IVF and whether they plan to use this technology in their planned parenthood journey.

What is In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF)?

IVF is an assisted reproductive technology (ART) that works by using a combination of medicines and surgical procedures to help sperm fertilize an egg, and help the fertilized egg implant in your uterus.

IVF provides a whole host of solutions to those looking to have a baby. For women, IVF assists those who may encounter fertility issues or have a partner with fertility issues. IVF provides the option to have a baby without a partner, and allows individuals to conceive later in life. In addition, IVF offers the abilty for same sex partners to conceive a child, and so much more.

Baby Makers

We started by asking our respondents if their plans to have children in the next 5 years have changed since the start of the pandemic. While, fortunately, about 22% agreed their plans did not change, over 63% do not have plans at all.

Introducing IVF

Following our first pregnancy-focused survey, we asked Canadians if they were planning on using fertility assistance when trying to bear their next child. A mere 10% agreed they would seek assistance and 13% responded that they were unsure. The favoured response, 77%, was natural pregnancies.

With assistance in mind, we asked Canadians whether they were familiar with IVF (in vitro fertilization) as an option for becoming pregnant. Over 23% of Canadians are very familiar with IVF and over 26% are familiar. 30% agreed that they know a little and less than 20% are unfamiliar or do not know of it at all. This does not come to us as a surprise, many women are choosing to have children later on in their lives which increases the need for fertility assistance as the live birth rate per embryo decreases with age.

How do we feel about IVF?

How has IVF helped Canadians? Caddle asked our panel if IVF actually helped them become pregnant and a majority, over 57%, said yes! Reflecting this response, 57% were also very likely to recommend IVF treatment to friends and family.

It’s genetics

As we discuss pregnancy, we also wanted to consider what factors may be causing women to be hesitant with their decision to have children. Genetics come into play in many aspects of our lives-and we wanted to get a perspective on how Canadians feel about them, especially with their pregnancies.

We asked Canadians whether they know of anyone with a genetic disease and the responses are as follows:

Of those who know someone with a genetic disease, the most selected option was close family members (16.6%), followed by close friends (12.7%), and acquaintances (11.7%).

In the Bloodline

Taking a deeper look into the insights, when we asked Canadians if they have any blood-related family members with a genetic disease, the top results were parents (12%), aunts or uncles (11.3%), and grandparents (7.5%).

Genetic diseases may be a frightening topic for many Canadians. In fact, 9.5% are extremely concerned that they may be carrying one themselves. It may be difficult to accept as there is truly no preventable measure that can take place with these types of conditions. Fortunately, a majority of responses (37.3%) agreed that they are not at all concerned.

Thinking Into the Future

Now, genetic diseases and babies are usually a topic many people would choose to avoid. However, when looking into the future, Caddle asked whether Canadians were concerned that they would be passing one onto their children. While 11.8% are extremely concerned, the majority (28.7%) are not concerned at all.

There is a lot to consider when it comes to pregnancy, and we can only hope that everyone has a safe and healthy experience of their own. It is a joyous time for many, but it is important to also realise the struggles some may endure. At Caddle, we are sensitive to those trying to have children and wish the best of everyone. We also celebrate the miracles that do enter into our world everyday!

Main Takeaways

No.1 |

The pandemic has not made a distinct impact on whether or not Canadians intend on trying to become pregnant.

No.2 |

57% of Canadians have had children using IVF treatment, and a majority are familiar with the procedure.

No.3 |

Most Canadians are not heavily concerned by genetic diseases, however, more are concerned about passing one along to their children than actually carrying one themselves.

*Disclaimer: all data presented is owned by Caddle and has a Margin of Error of 1% or lower.

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