13 March 2026
Most women Gen Z-ers (those born between 1997 and 2012) are developing fertility anxiety by age 23. That’s the stark finding of a recent report by HRC Fertility. It surveyed 1,000 adults in the US and found that 72 percent of Gen Z women had age-related fertility anxiety by the time they reached age 23 and 47 percent felt under pressure to have children before reaching their thirties. (1) It’s a sign of the times and a concern that can weigh heavily on the minds of Gen Z women. However, answering the question of whether their fertility anxiety is justifiable or an unnecessary worry requires a nuanced understanding of a range of underlying issues.
Fertility Anxiety
Fertility anxiety is trending much earlier amongst Gen Z women compared with their Millennial counterparts (those born between 1981 and 1996). Worries about age-related fertility decline amongst Millennial women tended to hit later in life when they wanted to start having children. Whereas Gen Z women are developing concerns about their fertility from young adulthood often in their early twenties, years before they are actually ready to start a family. Why is this the case?
Advances in technology, social media and frequent media coverage mean Gen Z women are now constantly exposed to news and reminders about their biological clock and age-related fertility decline compared with previous generations who grew up just as digital technology was starting out. Facebook started in 2004, the first iPhone came out in 2007, Instagram launched in 2010 and Tiktok was released in 2016, all driving constant streams of news and fertility content at Gen Z-ers. This is compounded by accessible at-home fertility testing and growing take-up of egg-freezing programmes (egg-freezing was designated an experimental treatment until 2012). Gen Z-ers have therefore grown up with this awareness, whilst at the same time witnessing the fertility struggles that Millennial women are encountering having delayed parenthood into their thirties and beyond for personal and economic reasons. On top of this, there is increasing debate about falling birth rates across the world. As such, it is understandable that Gen Z women are feeling anxious and stressed about their fertility from an early age. This in turn raises the question what can be done about this?
Combatting Fertility Anxiety
There are a number of ways Gen Z-ers and others can seek to combat fertility anxiety. It can help to be proactive about individual fertility and address a range of factors:
- Assess personal health and impact of any chronic medical conditions.
- Consider family medical histories.
- Undergo fertility testing and assess ovarian reserve.
- Consider surgical options (e.g. to treat endometriosis, fibroids, blocked fallopian tubes).
- Look at merits of fertility preservation treatment (e.g. egg freezing) on a individual basis as it may not be medically necessary in your twenties (depending upon ovarian quality and reserves) and appreciating it does not always guarantee a successful birth in future.
- Assess personal finances and affordability of fertility preservation/IVF and plan early for future costs of parenthood and childcare.
- Assess fertility treatment success rates and factor in age-related fertility decline.
- Have and keep under review a personal family building timeline.
- Be flexible as individual fertility is never guaranteed (other options can include donor gametes and surrogacy).
By planning ahead in this way, Gen Z women and others can make more informed decisions about their fertility planning and future family building. This can help them adapt to the realities and demands of modern life, risk assess and take action.
Fertility & Family Law
It is also important to understand and effectively navigate legal frameworks governing fertility preservation and treatment, donor conception, surrogacy, family life and posthumous conception. The legal issues can be complex and effective legal strategies can help safeguard individual fertility, put family building and family life on a firm footing and maximise successful outcomes. This can encompass a range of factors including acquisition of legal parenthood and parental responsibility, birth registration, care and upbringing of children and dispute management with ex-partners, donors, co-parent, surrogates and others.
To find out more about fertility treatment law in the UK click here.
To find out more about donor conception law in the UK click here.
To find out more about surrogacy law click here.
To find out more about posthumous conception law in the UK click here.
To find out more about complex children and family law click here.
Footnote
“Most Gen Z Women Have Fertility Anxiety by Age 23 – Survey”, by Suzanne Blake, Newsweek 9 September 2025, https://www.newsweek.com/most-gen-z-women-have-fertility-anxiety-age-23-2127241.
