A survey by fertility assessment group ‘My Fertility Check’ has discovered many adults do not know the age at which fertility declines.

710 men and women aged between 25 and 44 took part in the study.

Mary McAuliffe, Head of Clinical Services at ‘My Fertility Clinic’, spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning about what is the ideal age for a woman to conceive. 

She stated: "We know that one in six couples do have difficulty trying to conceive when they reach that point of trying for their first baby."

She went on to discuss when fertility declines: "For men, it pretty much stays relatively stable... right up into their 50s. Men, lifestyle factors are important, to protect their fertility.

"Women, it's very much related to age.

"In your 20s is your best time and it's often not the best time in all other areas of your life to start trying for a baby but the earlier you can start the better.

"If you want to have your family naturally and you're trying to avoid using the assistance of fertility clinics and so on, the earlier the start of your family, the better your chances of conceiving naturally."

However, seven in ten did not know when fertility declines and the impact of age. "It's quite alarming, 79% of people not knowing that fertility declines from the age of 30. Even a third of them believed that fertility doesn't start to decline until the age of 40 and over."

Her advice was to have fertility checked. People can access a service here.

You can listen to her interview here: