7 reasons people shouldn't have children, according to science

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If you're trying to decide if you should have kids, these studies could help.

• Whether or not you should become a parent is often a fraught decision.
• With the US fertility rate at an all-time low, more people are rejecting the idea that you have to have children.
• While it's ultimately your decision, there are several factors at play that potential future parents should consider.

If you're looking for a straightforward answer to the question of whether or not you should have a child, you'll be sorry to hear that it doesn't exist.

Certainly, there are several reasons people shouldn't have children - your decision to become a parent could make your life utterly miserable and send your career careening into the abyss.

But, then again, it could be the most fulfilling decision you've ever made and set you up to take on the world.

Or it could fall somewhere in the middle.

Simply put, it's complicated - and in many ways, too subjective - and I doubt we'll ever have a comprehensive, one-size-fits-all answer. The decision is, ultimately, up to you.

But hopefully, these studies will begin to unpack the question of whether you should or shouldn't have children and help you better understand the factors at play.