More American Women Go Without A Child – A recent study has shown that nearly one in five American women go through their life without having a child. This number used to be one in 10 in the 1970’s, but has continued to grow since that time. The information was gathered using the Census Bureau’s information. The report uses the standard measure of childlessness at the end of the child bearing years, when women are expected to have a kid.
The number of women between the ages of 40 and 44 who have not had a child rose nearly 9% from 1976. This can likely be attributed to more widespread use of contraceptives. The researchers went on to say that they feel that the social pressure to bear children is not what it once was. Today, the decision is viewed as a choice, and not as a necessity, although most people still choose to have children.
“Improved job opportunities and contraceptive methods help create alternatives for women who choose not to have children,” said the report. “At the same time, there has been a general trend toward delayed marriage and childbearing, especially among highly educated women. Given that the chance of successful pregnancy declines with age, some women who hope to have children never will.”
The trend is certainly an interesting one, and showed that women who have been successful in their job and in school have less of a chance of giving birth to a child. 24 percent of woman ages 40 to 44 with a master’s, doctoral or professional degree have not had children. This was a sharp decline from previous reports.