ART may erode fecundity long‑term

As assisted reproductive technologies (IVF/ICSI) scale, they can allow people with infertility‑linked genotypes to reproduce, relaxing natural selection against low fecundity. Over generations, this could gradually reduce baseline natural fertility even if short‑run birth numbers are boosted by treatment. — It reframes ART from a purely therapeutic tool to a demographic force that could reshape population fecundity, informing fertility policy, genetic counseling, and long‑run projections.

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Erik Hoel 2026.04.02 82% relevant

The article cites a new mouse study (Nature Communications and a separate IVF multigenerational paper) showing IVF‑associated epigenetic changes that intensify in subsequent generations, directly connecting empirical evidence about assisted reproductive technologies (ART) to the existing idea that ART could have long‑run fertility or biological consequences.

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2025.10.07 100% relevant

The article’s claim that widespread ART uptake "may also contribute to such fecundity loss by encouraging the retention of poor fertility genotypes within the population."