by Sara Landini, Simona Viciani, Daniele Vignoli, Maria Elisabetta Coccia, Marco Cozzani, Emilia Giusti and Niccolò Pellini, University of Florence
The essay examines women’s reproductive health in the context of an ageing society. It explores the concept of reproductive health rights and how the postponement of parenthood and biological constraints have led to a structural reliance on Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), which now accounts for a significant proportion of births among older mothers. The authors highlight the need for comprehensive reproductive education and the potential of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and insurance schemes to fill the gaps in state support. Finally, the paper focuses on the challenges posed by excessive medicalisation and emphasises the crucial role of new developments in digital health (telemedicine and e-health), including in ensuring equitable access and secure data management.
Keywords: reproductive health; ageing society; medically assisted reproduction (MAR); public-private partnership (PPP); telemedicine; health data.