Age Does Matter For A Male's Fertility

Everyone knows about advanced maternal age.  Everyone knows that as women age it becomes progressively difficult to conceive a pregnancy.   Everyone know that beyond a certain age, women can no longer become pregnant.  Everyone knows that certain birth defects are associated with advanced maternal age.  

But how about men?

Emerging scientific data demonstrate that advanced paternal age exists and is associated with fertility problems.   Advanced paternal age is associated with an increase in sperm DNA damage.   Advanced paternal age is associated with increase incidence of certain both defects (though this is still rare).   Advanced paternal age is associated with an impaired ability of a sperm to fertilize an egg, lower success rates with in vitro fertilization, and lower success rates with ICSI.   

What can one do about it?

Counseling

Sperm cryopreservation prior to age 50

Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis

Sperm DNA testing

Thanks,

Dr Schoor