Fertility Facts: How Age Can Influence Your Journey To Parenthood
The biological clock is more prominently associated with women and plays a role in fertility potential. The age-related drop in fertility in women is more pronounced than in men, especially with the number and quality of eggs. Women are born with a fixed number of eggs and as the age increases, the ovarian reserve gradually diminishes. This decline is more significant after 35 years of age. The quality of eggs also diminishes which increases the risk of chromosomal anomalies and miscarriages. Men, experience a more gradual decline with age. Unlike eggs which are finite in number, sperm are produced continuously throughout their lives. Even then, advanced paternal age has shown a connection with health concerns in the baby, including an increased risk of genetic and/or developmental disorders. The quality of sperm has also been known to decline as age increases coupled with lifestyle factors. In the current scenario, many individuals delay their parenthood for various reasons, like career pursuits and financial stability. These are entirely valid reasons but they will intersect with the biological system. Assisted reproduction techniques offer various ways to help preserve the eggs, sperms, or embryos, by cryopreservation (freezing). Even with IVF and cryopreservation the success rates do get affected with advancing age. Planning a family and balancing individual priorities requires the couple to be informed about the options available to them and having an open conversation helps to navigate the complexities. Understanding the age-related decline in fertility helps individuals and couples make a well-rounded decision about when to start a family or how to freeze good eggs and sperm for future use. To sum it all up, age is the one factor we cannot control, but by adopting a healthier approach to life we can certainly reduce the effect of aging on the eggs and sperm. Even with that, the number of eggs will still be reduced because unfortunately there is no way to have more eggs. So whenever deciding on delaying childbirth, it is very important to consider all the factors discussed above.
