[Female age - related fertility decline: Far from the myth of the "selfish working-girl" and the "right to have a child"].

Objectives: To study the social dimension of age-related female infertility through an analysis of three key themes: the personal life histories of infertile women over 40 years of age; representations of age and the desire to become pregnant after age 40; opinions of French legislations framing Assisted Reproductive Technologies, age limits, egg donation, and egg freezing for non-medical reasons.

Methods: This qualitative sociological study was based on semi-structured interviews with infertile women over age 40 going through fertility treatments. The interviews contained three parts: personal and relationship histories; experiences related to age; opinions related to French legislation.

Results: Twenty-three interviews were conducted; each lasting between 90 to 120minutes. Far from having similar life histories, the women interviewed had very different backgrounds leading to their desire for a pregnancy after 40 years of age. From the beginning of their fertility treatments, they perceived a "race against the clock". This feeling of urgency accompanied their experiences and was related to the desire to not be too old for their future child. The women interviewed were mainly in favor of loosening French bioethical laws in order to avoid the need to travel abroad to pursue fertility treatments.

Conclusion: The profiles studied attest to a growing gap between biological and biographical temporalities, as well as an inability of women to reduce their desire for a child. Faced with this disparity, egg donation and egg freezing were seen as practical solutions.