Brazil follows the trend of countries that went from high fertility to below
replacement level; in many countries, fertility rates continue to fall, often to
levels well below population replacement, especially in Europe and Eastern Asia.
Since 2006, Brazil has presented rates below the population replacement level,
with regional variations. The shift to a pattern of late motherhood is central
to understanding this phenomenon, as well as the increased use of reproductive
technologies and the global market for assisted reproduction. Demand for
services based on Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) has increased in
European countries and the United States. Also, in Brazil, there is a growing
demand for assisted reproduction services, which private clinics offer at a
significantly high cost. This article provides an overview of these issues. It
raises new questions and dimensions of analysis by problematizing the
socio-demographic, legal, and ethical aspects of assisted reproduction, which
need to be explored in future population studies.