Fertility can take a sperm for the worst as men age

IT IS not just women who need to be conscious about their reproductive ‘ticking time clock’.

New research has found that men over 40 who undergo IVF have a significantly lower chance of success, even when their female partner is much younger.

The findings have prompted fertility researchers to suggest that younger men consider freezing their sperm in a bid to protect their future aspirations of starting a family.

It comes as new statistics show that in every age range between 35 and 55, more Australian men are having children, despite the small but increased risk that this has on the health of the pregnancy and the child.

While maternal age remains the significant factor in IVF success, Melbourne IVF clinical research manager, Franca Agresta said their research — to be presented today at the Fertility Society of Australia’s annual conference in Hobart — showed that men also needed to consider their reproductive time clock.

The team from Melbourne IVF, University of Melbourne and Royal Women’s Hospital analysed pregnancy rates of 1400 IVF single embryo transfers over five years, comparing men aged under and over 40. All women were aged under 35 years.

Younger men’s chance of pregnancy success was 39 per cent compared to 26 per cent in men over 40, with an average age of 44 years.

“It is a significant difference. It shows reduced male fertility is more than low sperm count,” Ms Agresta said.

“It’s potentially the ageing effects on sperm quality that we can’t see, such as DNA damage.”

Ms Agresta said just as men froze sperm ahead of starting cancer treatment or deployment for military service, the findings suggested men may also benefit from elective sperm freezing. “If you’re approaching 40 and that desire to have a family hasn’t been achieved, maybe it should be a consideration,” she said.

Dr Nicole McPherson, from the University of Adelaide’s Robinson Research Institute, will tell the conference today that while there was a “very low relative risk, there is an increased risk” of advanced paternal age affecting the child’s future health and health of the pregnancy.

In men over 45 years their partner has a 30 per cent increased chance of gestational diabetes, and their child is more likely to have a birth defect, childhood cancer and psychiatric disorder.

“The biggest hit from advanced paternal age is the genetic material the sperm passes on is damaged,” Dr McPherson said. “It’s the same message we give women; men shouldn’t delay having kids if they can help it.”