Sperm Affected By Age of Men
Problems with fertility are commonly blamed on women, particularly women over a particular age. However, men can also become less fertile with age, against popular belief.
One scientific study done by Soroka University in Israel examined the semen quality and quantity of men varying in ages to compare. The frequency of sexual activity was also compared. It was found that this also had an impact on the quality of semen. Staying away from sex totally also had a severe impact on the quality and quantity of semen, even though many believe that the less sex you have the more fertile you become.
The results of this study were not surprising. It showed that men in their early to mid-thirties had the greatest quality and quantity of semen. However, sperm quantity was at its lowest in men aged fifty five and older. Adults younger than twenty five have the best sperm motility, while men over the age of fifty five have a fifty four percent decrease in motility. In the case of motility it did not seem to matter how often the subject had sex.
The genetics of the sperm is also affected by the age of the male. A study done at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the University of California determined that the likelihood of defects in sperm is doubled as a man gets older. This can cause infertility, birth defects, and miscarriage. Men who have children later in life are more likely to pass on genetic health issues to their children.
Yet another study held at the Assuta Medical Center in Rishon LeZion determined that in vitro fertilization, a treatment where eggs can be fertilized by sperm outside the body, are more successful when the man is under the age of forty. This suggests that once you reach the age of forty the quality of sperm is poor, and therefor ether IVF treatment has a higher chance of not being successful. The age of the woman, however, made no significant difference in the success of IVF.
This all proves that men have a biological clock just as women do. Age definitely affects the quality, quantity and motility of sperm, as well as the chances of having a child.
