Tarragona is seeing growing demand for assisted reproduction, as more women delay having children until after 35. At the Dexeus Dona specialised unit at Hospital Viamed, director Josep Gonzalo says the average age for a first child in Spain is 32, while many women now consider pregnancy between 38 and 40.
Gonzalo said several social factors are behind the shift, including job insecurity, women’s careers, new family models, single mothers and second marriages. He said these changes mean assisted reproduction is playing a larger role in family planning.
He also said the best age for childbearing is 30, and that by 40 the chance of spontaneous pregnancy falls to 1%. He linked that to lower egg quality and quantity, as well as a higher risk of foetal malformations and miscarriages with age.
Science is adapting to that demand. The Tarragona unit offers egg and embryo preservation, artificial insemination, in vitro fertilisation, and genetic studies for women over 30. It says it uses advanced technology to support these treatments and aims to become a leading centre in southern Catalonia. For more local health coverage, see our news tag page.
Embryologist Albert Pinyol said the laboratory can grow embryos to the blastocyst stage, a five-day-old embryo, which allows for natural selection. He said some embryos stop developing by day four, but those that continue have a higher chance of implantation. The unit says this can reduce the need to transfer two or three day-three embryos, which can raise the risk of multiple pregnancies.
The service manages the process from egg extraction in the operating theatre to fertilisation, embryo freezing and preservation when needed. Gonzalo said being part of a hospital allows for quick testing without waiting lists, and that the team focuses on personalised care for each patient.
The service also treats male infertility. Miriam Balañà, head of the laboratory, said the team has successfully created an embryo using testicular sperm extraction. Since opening in January, the unit has handled about 250 treatments and aims to reach 1,000 a year.
