Researchers say many magazines tend to feature pregnant celebrities that are older on their covers and are failing to mention the risks involved in having a baby at such a late stage in life.
A new study claims these kinds of magazines to do not explain how advanced maternal age pregnancy can be risky. Certain advanced reproductive technologies and methods needed to have a successful pregnancy also comes with risks.
The study suggests these magazines are perpetuating the perception that women can safely put off pregnancy until later on in life. Researchers came to this conclusion after examining 416 magazine issue that targets reproductive-aged women. In almost one-third of the covers, fertility was the subject that was highlighted. These covers also made a mention of 240 different celebrities.
Researchers also discovered approximately half were of advanced maternal age (AMA). However, there were only two mentions of pregnancy risks associated with (AMA). Even though a third of the AMA pregnancies were among celebrities who were over the age of 4o, the accompanying articles, made no mention or very little of it on the need for advanced interventions, like in vitro fertilization (IVF), in order to have a successful pregnancy.
"It's easy to get drawn in by the cover of a popular magazine featuring a happily pregnant celebrity in her late 30s or early 40s and to think that fertility is the norm at that stage in a woman's reproductive life,"Susan G. Kornstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Women's Health, told a news portal. Adding, "Often left unsaid though are the costly and extraordinary measures, assisted reproductive technologies, and risks associated with these later-in-life pregnancies." The study's findings were originally published in theJournal of Women's Health.
Meanwhile, a new study has found mindfulness-based programs could reduce stress in infertile women. "We observed that a relatively brief program of mindfulness practice was able to reduce the self-perception of stress and depressive symptoms in this population," senior author Dr Fernando Reis told news portal. Adding, "This program offers a complementary support to mitigate the psychological burden of infertility."
