Can assisted reproductive technologies help offset population ageing?
S. Hoorens1, F. Gallo, J. Cave and J. Grant RAND Europe, Westbrook Centre, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 1YG, UK 1 Correspondence address. Tel: +44-1223-353329; Fax: +44-1223-358845; E-mail: hoorens{at}rand.org’ + u + ‘@’ + d + ”//–> Sir, We warmly welcome scrutiny of our work and the open debate that it has prompted. However, we believe Te Velde et al. misrepresent our thesis and misstate our definitions and assumptions. In our exploratory work, we tested the hypothesis that assisted reproductive technologies (ART) could be part of a population policy mix and concluded that ART does have potential to contribute to the total fertility rate (TFR) (Grant et al., 2006; Hoorens et al., 2007). In reaching this conclusion, we have repeatedly stressed a number of caveats and limitations to our analysis and the need for further research. Indeed, the RAND Europe report to which Te Velde et al. refer is titled A preliminary assessment of the demographic and economic impact of Assisted Reproductiv
