When couples elect to defer child bearing, the effects of age on reproductive potential must be considered. The impact of advancing age on female reproductive potential has been well documented. Relatively less attention, however, has been directed toward the effect of age on male reproductive function. Although less pronounced than its effect on female fertility, advancing age does have an impact on male reproduction. Among men, increasing age is associated with a decrease in sexual function as well as changes in testicular histology and a decline in basic fertility parameters. Additionally, there is an identifiable association between advanced paternal age and subsequent birth defects. These issues should be borne in mind when men are counseled regarding the age at which they elect to establish families.
The effect of age on human physiology has been studied extensively over the past century. The relationship between age and decreased male sexual activity is well established . However, the effect of age on male infertility is not as clear. Some authors have proposed that the practical consequences of advancing age on reproductive function in men is not relevant to many men in our society since older men often do not desire to father children . However, as our society ages and life expectancies increase, many individuals are waiting longer to establish families. Therefore, information regarding the impact of age on male fertility will likely have increasing importance.
Sexual behavioral changes with age
Male sexual activity generally declines in a slow, continuous process from adolescence through old age . One of the most compelling studies supporting this concept was