When it comes to issues surrounding fertility, there has been a lot of negative press around scaremongering women. Although it is unnecessary to pressurise women, it is nevertheless important to make sure we have the right information at our disposal in order to make informed choices. A new national study has revealed that three-quarters of adults surveyed did not know at what age fertility starts to decline. Almost half of those surveyed guessed it declines at age 35, which is actually five years later than the age it really does decline - 30. Health website My Fertility Check spoke to over one thousand people between the ages of 25 and 44 in the study, which also revealed that Irish mothers are among the oldest in Europe. Head of Clinical Services at My Fertility Check, Mary McAuliffe, said: "I see so many women and couples attending for fertility treatment and IVF who are surprised that it has proven so difficult to have a baby naturally. "A substantial portion of adults think fertility declines at a much later age than it does in reality. 41% of people think the decline begins at 35 while one third believe it starts later - at 40 years." "The results really highlight the need for a nationwide, State-funded education campaign on fertility and reproductive health, particularly targeting students at third level."