Research gives key data on male fertility and age

It has been known for quite some time that a women’s age has an effect on her fertility. This effect is well documented in success rates from donor insemination, donor eggs and IVF. The question is now, what happens when males age?

We know that when it comes to male fertility, age does matter. In the past there have been studies evaluating standard sperm and/or endocrine parameters according to age group. However, these studies do not reflect the ability of the sperm fertilizing capacity or time to pregnancy (TTP).

A group of researchers from the University of Hull in the United Kingdom has analyzed the association between male age and fertility. In this observational study they sent a questionnaire to 2,112 pregnant women. They evaluated and quantified the effects of women’s and men’s age on fecundibility, looking into the age at the onset of trying for pregnancy and adjusting for confounding factors (contraceptive use, pregnancy planning, previous subfertility, previous pregnancies, age, and individual life-style characteristics of both partners).

From the information gathered they came to the following conclusions:

• As with women’s age, increasing men’s age was associated with significantly rising TTP and declining conception rates
• No statistical difference in the history of health problems between younger and older male partners.
• Relative to men under 25 years old, those over 45 years old were 4.6 and 12.5 fold more likely to have time to pregnancy of greater than 1 or greater than 2 years.
• *A progressively declining fecundity with increasing age of men accelerated fivefold when men’s age was 45 years or older.
• Time to pregnancy increased among older males with younger women.
• Conception rates declined progressively with increasing age.

In attempt to confirm their conclusions, they adjusted the regression models and restricted male partners of young women. Both came to the same conclusions that as males age their fecundity decreases. From the data it cannot be argued the negative effect age has on fecundity. With the new information gathered about men’s age and all the hundreds of information about women’s age, it seems age does not agree with either gender.

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