“There’s a lot of emphasis placed on biomedical risks,” explains Francesca Scala, political science professor at Concordia University and co-author of the study.
But while she acknowledges that these are “valid concerns” and future mothers should be well informed before making decisions, Scala highlights that such emphasis can paint older mothers as “at risk” or “abnormal” or “irresponsible reproductive citizens.” In Quebec, since November 2021, costs of in vitro fertilization are only covered for women under 42 because of a lower chance of pregnancy that rapidly declines around this age.
“There’s this idea that women are the only ones responsible for children … that maternity consumes their entire life.” Women who are older, who have grey hair are not considered “an ideal mother,” she says.