Australia
News
Can governments ever convince women to have more babies? Here’s what other countries can teach us
AI summaryAs Australia approaches a future with more deaths than births by the 2060s, other countries facing similar fertility declines offer lessons on whether government efforts can boost birth rates.
Australia set for 39 million people by mid-2060s – but slower population growth
AI summaryAustralia's Intergenerational Report projects the population reaching 39 million by the mid-2060s, with growth slowing from a historical 1.4% annual rate to 0.9%.
Australia in a baby bust? It’s not that simple – and a panic won’t help
AI summaryThe article questions the framing of Australia's declining birth rate as a crisis, asking what real issue a low birth rate actually poses and for whom.
Research
He said, she said: How third-party presence shapes infertility reporting in couples
AI summaryUsing 2019 HILDA survey data on heterosexual couples, this study examines how the presence and active involvement of a third party during interviews affects self-reported infertility and agreement between partners. Findings show that when a third party actively influenced the interview, reported infertility rates rose substantially (men's odds more than doubled, women's odds increased by 65%), and partner agreement on infertility status also increased. These results suggest that interview context, particularly third-party influence, meaningfully shapes infertility reporting and consistency within couples.
Abstract
BACKGROUNDEstimating infertility prevalence at the population level is challenging and little is known about the factors that influence how individuals report it. OBJECTIVEWe assess whether third-party presence, such as that of a partner, influences the likelihood of reporting infertility among a sample of heterosexual couples.We also examine the consistency of responses between partners interviewed separately and evaluate whether third-party presence increases agreement or disagreement within couples. METHODSUsing data from the 2019 Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey, we apply descriptive statistics and logistic regression models to assess associations between third-party presence and (1) infertility reporting and (2) consistency of infertility reports between partners. RESULTSOverall, 10.1% of men and 16.1% of women reported infertility.When a third party actively influenced the interview, reported infertility increased to 16.7% among men and 21.4% among women.After adjustment for confounders, men interviewed in the presence of an influencing third party had more than twice the odds of reporting infertility, while women had 65% higher odds.Agreement on infertility between partners increased from 7.5% to 14.5% in men's interviews and from 7.1% to 13.7% in women's