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The survey, conducted in the third week of confinement in Italy, surveyed 944 women and 538 men between the ages of 18 and 46 who had been in a stable heterosexual relationship for at least twelve months. Study author Dr. Elisabetta Micelli of the Center for Assisted Reproduction Technologies suggested that mental well-being during confinement had an impact on the desire to have a baby.
“Most participants gave significantly higher total scores to their mental well-being before the pandemic, while the lowest scores were reported in responses referring to the COVID-19 period,” it said in a statement.
More than 80 percent of those surveyed said they did not plan to conceive during the pandemic, however, 11 percent said the outbreak had made them want one more child.
This desire was primarily expressed by women who cited a need for positivity and a will for change.
The researchers behind the study acknowledged that the future is unclear, saying that “it is unknown whether these findings will lead to a substantial change in the birth rate in the near future.”
