While men can produce sperm throughout their lives, it becomes significantly harder to have children as they age, with a noticeable decline in fertility starting around 40 to 45 years old. Unlike the sharp decline women experience, male fertility decreases more gradually, but, by the age of 45, the time it takes to conceive increases, and the risk of miscarriage or genetic abnormalities in the child also rises.
A 2020 study found that conception is 30% less likely for men older than 40 than it is for men younger than 30. There are several reasons for this, including that semen volume, total sperm count, and sperm motility (how well the sperm can move toward the egg) all decrease as men age.
Men can produce sperm throughout their lives, so there is no “male menopause” when men can't have children any longer. But that said, studies have shown that male fertility does decline with age. If a man is over age 45, it can take five times longer for he and his partner to conceive than if he was aged 25 or under.
As a male, one can have children at any age, although it is common knowledge that the older the father is, the greater likelihood of passing down medical issues to offspring.
The risk was still very small, even for so-called geriatric pregnancies . Having a child after 35 does increase the risk of all sorts of complications, but millions of women over 35 give birth to happy and health children. Being 35+ is not a guarantee of disaster.
Risks of having a baby after 35
The birth of a first baby is more likely to be complicated than having a subsequent baby, no matter how old you are. As people get older, the chance of other health issues rises. These health issues are what is relevant, and not the age by itself (Morris et al, 2018).
The overall picture is that the older the parents (both the mother and the father), the more likely they are to have a daughter.
Age and Male Fertility
Parenting expert Sarah R. Moore says that it isn't selfish to have a baby at 40. By 40, you likely know who you are and what kind of parent you want to be, so you can raise your child with intention. However, there are health risks for both the baby and the mother, and you'll have to reassess your career priorities.
Older dads often benefit from their additional life experience and problem-solving skills. Besides, the rewards of being a later-in-life father are commensurate … that first smile, first step and all the other “firsts” that are waiting for us are our gold medals for being dads. Now, that's a challenge worth facing.
Symptoms of a low sperm count include:
Difficulty maintaining an erection (erectile dysfunction) Inability to impregnate a woman (infertility) Low sex drive. Pain, swelling, or a lump in the testicle area.
While research shows that sexual function often declines as men age, there is no specific age at which all men will no longer be able to ejaculate. That's because no longer being able to ejaculate is not a natural part of getting older.
"70/30 parenting" refers to a child custody arrangement where one parent has the child for about 70% of the time (the primary parent) and the other parent has them for 30% (often weekends and some mid-week time), creating a stable "home base" while allowing the non-primary parent significant, meaningful involvement, but it also requires strong communication and coordination to manage schedules, school events, and disagreements effectively.
The ages of fathers has been going up over time, with the median age of dads being 33.7 years for births registered in 2022, up from 29 for births registered in 1977.
Older dads may live longer, as do their offspring
“The good thing about being an older dad is that you tend to live longer, and you certainly have lots of young reasons to,” says Dr. Turek. “Your offspring also tends to live longer.
The chance of having a child affected by Down syndrome increases from about 1 in 1,250 for a woman who conceives at age 25, to about 1 in 100 for a woman who conceives at age 40.
As women “use up” the eggs they were born with, by age 40, many women deplete their ovarian reserve and have difficulty producing enough good-quality eggs to make it to implantation, even with stimulation.
Those women who have late menopause have babies early and often have babies without difficulty, well into their early to mid-40s, but it's rare for any population you study that women have successful pregnancies after 45 with any kind of frequency.
The best way to determine the health of your sperm is to get a semen analysis from a fertility clinic or lab. Over-the-counter (OTC) at-home semen analysis tests are available to purchase. However, these products aren't as thorough and may not be as effective as a lab test.
Human semen is composed of fluids from the seminal vesicles, prostate, and bulbourethral glands which mix during ejaculation. The seminal vesicles contribute 70% of semen volume, which contains fructose as the main energy source for sperm.
For example, statistical analysis shows that the sperm quality parameters in the age group <35 years are the best after 3–4 days of abstinence, while ages >36 years have better sperm quality parameters after 5–6 days of abstinence.
Adulthood prime (maximal performance age) begins when growth in height terminates or the velocity slows to an almost imperceptible rate. For women this occurs, on average, by 18-20 years and for men the typical ages are 20-23 years. The Prime adult years continue until about age 30-35 years in both sexes.
🧠 Studies in family psychology (Branje et al., Journal of Family Psychology, 2012; Lamb, Fatherhood and Child Development, 2010) show that daughters are highly attuned to their fathers' emotional presence. Their confidence, empathy, and even stress responses are shaped by that early relationship. Why does this matter?
There may be real biological reasons why some families tend to have all boys or all girls. It's not something you caused or can easily change—but it's part of the natural variability of human reproduction.”