Fertility and Age: Understanding Your Options

As more couples choose to start families later in life, understanding how age affects fertility becomes increasingly important. While age can present challenges to conception, modern reproductive medicine offers various options for those trying to conceive. It can be helpful to see a fertility specialist just to have a baseline evaluation to understand your body. Let’s explore how age impacts fertility in both women and men, and what options are available for couples on their fertility journey.

How Age Affects Female Fertility

Women are born with all the eggs they’ll ever have, and this finite supply decreases over time. As a woman ages:

1. The quantity and quality of eggs decline, especially after age 35.

2. After age 40 egg decline accelerates in every way.

3. Hormonal changes can affect ovulation and the ability to sustain a pregnancy.

These factors can make conception more challenging and increase the risk of miscarriage or chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus.

How Age Affects Male Fertility

While men continue to produce sperm throughout their lives, age does impact male fertility:

1. Sperm quality gradually declines, potentially affecting movement  and shape.

2. The genetic quality of sperm may decrease, potentially increasing the risk of certain health conditions in offspring.

3. Testosterone levels may drop, affecting libido and sexual function.

These changes are typically more gradual than those seen in female fertility but can still impact a couple’s ability to conceive.

Options for Couples Trying Later in Life

For couples facing age-related fertility challenges, several options are available:

Fertility Testing and Assessment: 

Relatively simple fertility testing can help identify any specific issues and guide treatment plans.

Lifestyle Modifications: 

Improving diet, exercise, and stress management can positively impact fertility for both partners.

Assisted Reproductive Technologies:

  • Ovulation Induction: This treatment uses fertility medications to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs. It’s often used for women who don’t ovulate regularly or at all.
    • Common medications include clomiphene citrate (Clomid) and letrozole
    • Ovulation induction can be used alone or in combination with other treatments.
  • Intrauterine Insemination (IUI): In this procedure, specially prepared sperm are inserted directly into the uterus around the time of ovulation. IUI is often combined with ovulation induction to increase the chances of success. It’s commonly used for:
    • Mild male factor infertility
    • Unexplained infertility
    • When using donor sperm
  • In Vitro Fertilization (IVF): IVF may be recommended for various fertility issues, including tubal factor infertility, severe male factor infertility, unexplained infertility and endometriosis. This common process involves:
    • Stimulating the ovaries to produce multiple eggs
    • Retrieving the eggs
    • Fertilizing them with sperm in a laboratory
    • Culturing the resulting embryos for 3-5 days
    • Genetic (chromosomal) testing of embryos
    • Transferring one embryo into the uterus 
    • Saving embryos for the future

Each of these treatments has its own success rates, risks, and considerations. The most appropriate option depends on individual circumstances, including age, the cause of infertility, and other health factors. At Island Reproductive Services, we work closely with each patient to determine the best treatment plan for their unique situation.

Egg or Sperm Donation: 

For those with significantly diminished egg or sperm quality, using donor gametes can increase the chances of a successful pregnancy.

Gestational Carrier: 

In cases where carrying a pregnancy is not possible or advisable, gestational carrier may be an option.

While age can present challenges to fertility, it’s important to remember that everyone’s journey is unique. Advances in reproductive medicine have expanded the options available to couples trying to conceive later in life. If you’re concerned about how age might be affecting your fertility, we encourage you to consult with a fertility specialist. At Island Reproductive Services, we’re committed to helping you understand your options and supporting you on your path to parenthood, regardless of your age.

Remember, knowledge is power when it comes to fertility. The sooner you seek information and assistance, the more options you’ll have available. We’re here to guide you every step of the way.