Dr Tessa Copp

This is the Daily Aus.

This is the Daily Aus.

Yeah, no, you're absolutely right.

And I think there is a body of researchers and clinicians who are trying to get this embedded in kind of high school curriculum and in sex education.

And I think there's kind of a fine balance because when you are a teenager in your early 20s, you are incredibly fertile.

So I think it's right that the emphasis is on avoiding pregnancy if you don't want to get pregnant and, you know, STIs.

But, yeah, you're absolutely right.

There's a complete absence of discussion about the biology of fertility.

And so women are born with all their eggs.

Yeah, we have the most in utero and then at birth.

And then as we get older, they decline in number.

And so by the time of menstruation, you know, I think we only have a small proportion left.

And so each month during our menstrual cycle, there's a small pool of follicles that are built up in the ovary and each of them contain immature eggs.

And one of those eggs will mature to dominate and then ovulate at time of ovulation.

And the rest of the eggs are absorbed back into the ovary.

So, you know, as we get older, the number and the quality decline.

That's why I guess it's important but not alarmist, not to be alarmist to know of the impact of age and fertility so that if women have a choice, they can plan depending on how many, you know, kids they want.

family planning is important there if you have a choice, but you know, a lot of women don't.

So I guess if you're looking to figure out your fertile window, there's lots of online calculators that can help you figure that out.

Yes, that's exactly right.