Olivia Andrews—Age 38, Cape Town, South Africa

I am 38 years old and have made the decision to remain child-free. I’m not having children for environmental reasons. I’m worried about what the future holds for our planet with climate change. My partner and I have been together for 16 years. He also doesn’t want children. If he did we would not have got married.

People have different reactions when they ask me about kids. Mainly surprised or shocked, and people think I am judging them if they have kids. Which I’m not. Each to their own. But They get strangely defensive. I therefore tend to avoid telling people why I made this decision, they don’t understand. If I change my mind about having kids I’ll adopt, I think that’s the most ethical choice.