Many women don’t realize their fertility declines with age. IVF success rates with their own eggs decline dramatically in their 30s due to quality loss in her eggs.
Men’s fertility also decreases with age, though not as dramatically; however, the decline in their sperm quality tends to be less predictable than with women.
Age is a biological factor
Fertility decreases with age in both men and women, due to decreasing egg quantities and quality. While this does not preclude having children later on in life, but may require longer to gestate without complications arising as the mother ages.
Fertility starts to decline at around 32 and quickly declines by 40, making the chance of natural conception after this point rather unlikely.
As women age, their risk of miscarriage or giving birth to a child with Down syndrome increases significantly, increasing miscarriage risk or leading to miscarriage altogether.
American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) recommends that women over 35 seeking pregnancies after six months should visit a fertility specialist immediately if they have not succeeded in becoming pregnant naturally, while assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) like IVF may often be necessary. It’s important to keep in mind, though, that fertility difficulties do not define women or couples and there may be multiple pathways available to them for successful conception – including fertility preservation techniques as well as IVF treatments.
Age-related infertility
Women as they age find that their fertility decreases. Even if they remain healthy and exercise regularly, their chance of having a baby gradually diminishes with each passing year due to a natural decrease in egg quality and quantity. It is vital for women experiencing difficulty becoming pregnant to seek medical advice as soon as possible if experiencing difficulties getting pregnant, otherwise too late could occur.
Men tend to experience decreased sperm count and motility with age due to both natural effects of aging, genetic factors and lifestyle choices; however, older men can still become fathers.
Fertility levels reach their height among women between the ages of 20-30, when one-fourth will become pregnant per menstrual cycle; after 40 this number drops significantly (around 5-6%).
Even given these statistics, many women can still begin trying for a child later than anticipated. Most physicians advise women seeking fertility evaluations before reaching 35 to increase the odds of creating a healthy, happy family. Although IUI treatment might still be possible after 35, its success rate diminishes drastically over 40 and could only reach single digits (ASRM 2023), thus prompting women to seek medical help immediately if trying is to continue.
Age-related pregnancy complications
Women’s fertility generally declines with age due to decreased egg numbers and quality, ovulation issues and hormonal fluctuations affecting fertility treatments for older women. Pregnant women who conceive later are at increased risk for complications during gestation.
Fertility rates among women tend to peak between the late teens and early 20s and gradually decline over time, reaching its lowest point by mid-30s with only 20% chances of pregnancy per menstrual cycle and eventually plummeting below 5% by 40 years of age.
Age-related infertility may also result from eggs becoming increasingly susceptible to chromosomal abnormalities as women age, increasing miscarriage rates substantially for older women than for their younger counterparts.
Women must understand that they still possess the potential for fertility as young people if they make necessary lifestyle and medical changes, including fertility treatments for premenopausal women wishing to conceive premenopausally; however, such remedies cannot completely offset aging’s natural decline in fertility; male fertility also decreases as men age.
Age-related fertility treatments
At first glance, people might believe that women can get pregnant at any age; however, this is not always accurate. Female fertility is controlled by natural processes in her ovaries that limit it; typically all the egg-containing follicles she will ever have are present at birth and gradually used up and lost through puberty through attrition; therefore fertility typically peaks around age 30 before decline occurs thereafter.
However, it is still possible to conceive after age 35 with proper planning and consultation with a fertility specialist as soon as possible. Because egg quality declines with age and older women are at greater risk of miscarriage and chromosomal abnormalities in their embryo, early consultation should also help.
Fertility specialists can assist in explaining all of the various fertility treatment options, and selecting the most appropriate solution for you and your situation. For instance, women can freeze their eggs before turning 35 years old, increasing their chance of pregnancy while simultaneously decreasing chromosomal abnormalities in an embryo created through freezing; it is however imperative to discuss any risks with their physician prior to making this choice.
