Does a man's age matter in achieving pregnancy? .

How much semen does a man produce?

The volume of semen from a single ejaculation is usually between 2 and 6 ml. The normal sperm count varies from 15 million sperm to over 200 million sperm per millilitre of semen. A rate of less than 15 million sperms per millilitre (or 39 million sperms per ejaculate) is considered low - such a condition is called oligospermia. If infertility is suspected, the doctor will order a semen analysis, which will check not only the number of sperm, but also their shape and motility.

When are sperm strongest?

Although it takes about 74 days for sperm to reach maturity, they are produced all the time, so in men there is no monthly cycle for their production, nor are fertile and infertile days distinguished.

It is estimated that if a man is 25 years old or younger, the probability of natural conception is high, with an average conception time of about 4 months. On the other hand, if he is over 40, the time increases up to 2 years. Once a man is over 45, the average time needed to conceive is multiplied by five.

Why is this happening?

With age, a man's fertility declines as the overall semen parameters decrease. Among the most common problems are:

• reduced ejaculate volume,
• decrease in sperm count and motility,
• greater presence of abnormalities in sperm DNA.

Up to what age is a man fertile?

Most men produce millions of new sperm every day, but men over 40 have fewer healthy sperm than younger men. The overall number and motility of sperm steadily decreases from the age of 34 onwards. It is estimated that sperm volume peaks between the ages of 30 and 35 and drops significantly after the age of 55, along with a decrease in sperm motility. This means that a man over 50 has a much lower chance of having a child, and in addition to genetic characteristics, this is linked to the man's lifestyle.

Male age and lifestyle and fertility

Older men often develop chronic diseases such as diabetes, overweight and hypertension, which can reduce sperm quality and affect fertility. This can be related to lifestyle.

Men's reproductive capacity can be adversely affected:

• years of alcohol and cigarette addiction,
• exposure to stress,
• inadequate diet (unhealthy fats,
• vitamin deficiencies) or lack of physical activity and occupational work.

Other reproductive complications, such as a decrease in libido or erectile dysfunction, can also occur with age.

Up to what age a man is fertile remains, in many cases, an individual matter, as the fertility is influenced by lifestyle, eating habits, health status and genetic predisposition. However, it is not worth postponing the decision on paternity, as reduced semen quality not only hinders natural conception, but also the success of insemination or in vitro fertilisation.

It is also worth remembering that the older a man gets, the more fertility-reducing diseases proliferate. For this reason, the fertility of a man over 70 is significantly reduced. At this age, the sperm contains few sperm of normal structure, moreover, the ejaculate itself is poor in sperm, although this does not prevent begetting a child.

Late paternity and in vitro

Although men do not go through menopause like women and do not lose their ability to conceive even throughout their lives, male fertility decreases with age. However, thanks to various assisted reproductive techniques, it is now possible to solve most of the problems associated with male infertility and achieve the desired pregnancy.

If age stands in the way, insemination or IVF can restore hope of fatherhood. Currently, there are in vitro fertilisation techniqueswhich involve the insertion of a pre-selected sperm directly into the egg in the laboratory. The most important of these are:

• in vitro fertilisation by ICSI,
• in vitro fertilisation by IMSI,
• in vitro fertilisation using the PICSI® method.

Thanks to such techniques, cases of male infertility have been significantly reduced, even in severe cases of sperm pathology. In deciding on late fatherhood, however, it is advisable to use common sense and consider your own strength, capacity and health.

Substantive consultation:

Kajetan Piatkowski, MD - Specialist gynaecologist-obstetrician