Women are used to hearing about their "biological clock" and how their fertility declines as they get older. But new research suggests that men's chances of fatherhood are also affected by how old they are.
The research, presented at a meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, was carried out in a group of people having treatment for fertility problems. So the results may not apply to everyone. But they made interesting reading, nonetheless.
We already know that sperm, like eggs, are more likely to have DNA damage as men get older. This damage can make it harder for the sperm to fertilize an egg. And if a damaged sperm does fertilize an egg, there's a higher risk of the pregnancy ending in miscarriage. Miscarriage can be very distressing, especially if you've been trying for a baby for a long time.
Everyone in the study had a type of fertility treatment called intra-uterine insemination, in which prepared sperm from the man is injected directly into the woman's womb. (Subscribers to ConsumerReportsHealth.org can read more about this treatment.) Men aged 35 or older had more chance of their partner's pregnancy ending in miscarriage, compared to younger men.
In men aged 40 or over, about 1 in 3 pregnancies ended in miscarriage, regardless of the age of the woman. About 1 in 6 pregnancies where the man was younger than 35 ended in miscarriage. We don't know if these figures would be the same for men who didn't need treatment for fertility problems, though. Men who don't need fertility treatment may have healthier sperm and less chance of miscarriage.
What you need to know. The results don't tell us how many natural pregnancies (without fertility treatment) are affected by men's age. However, they do suggest that men, like women, have a biological clock. That's worth knowing if you are considering having children at some time in the future.
—Anna Sayburn, patient editor, BMJ Group
ConsumerReportsHealth.org has partnered with The BMJ Group to monitor the latest medical research and assess the evidence to help you decide which news you should use.
Read more about risk factors for infertility (free) and take a look at our Treatment Ratings for male infertility.
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