Nowadays, age-related infertility in both males and females is becoming more common because, for a variety of reasons, many women wait until their 30s to begin their families. Even though women today are healthier and taking better care of themselves than ever before, improved health in later life does not offset the natural age-related decline in fertility. 

Unlike the early fertility decreases seen in women, a man’s decrease in sperm characteristics occurs much later. Sperm quality became poor somewhat as men get older, but it generally does not become a problem before a man is in his 60s.

As men age, their testes tend to get smaller and softer, and sperm morphology shape and motility movement start to decline. In addition, there is a slightly higher risk of gene defects in their sperm. Aging men may develop medical problems that adversely affect their sexual and reproductive functions. Not all men experience significant changes in reproductive or sexual functioning as they age, especially men who maintain good health over the years.

Treatment

In cases of male factor infertility, it’s recommended that the female partner also be checked. There may be specific treatments recommended for both partners. Treatments for male infertility include:

Surgery. In the case of varicocele surgery is the best option to correct or have an obstructed vas deferens repaired. Prior vasectomies can be reversed. In cases where no sperm are present in the ejaculate, sperm can often be retrieved directly from the testicles or epididymis using sperm retrieval techniques.

Treating infections. Antibiotic treatment might cure an infection of the reproductive tract, but doesn’t always restore fertility.

Treatments for sexual intercourse problems. Medication or counseling can help improve fertility in conditions such as erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation.

Hormone treatments and medications. If the problem is in hormone doctor might recommend hormone replacement or medications in cases where infertility is caused by high or low levels of certain hormones. 

Assisted reproductive technology (ART). ART treatments involve obtaining sperm through normal ejaculation, surgical extraction, or from donor individuals, depending on the specific case. The sperm is then inserted into the female reproductive tract or used to perform in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

Treatment Options And Alternatives

Assisted Reproductive Technologies:

If a cause for infertility is identified, doctors may suggest a specific treatment. However, in some cases, no specific problem is found, and infertility is labeled as “unexplained.” With unexplained infertility, or when traditional treatments have failed, advanced infertility therapies such as intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF) may be suggested. In an IUI cycle, fertility medications are given to start the growth of multiple eggs in the ovaries. When these eggs are ready to ovulate, the male partner’s washed sperm is placed directly into a woman’s uterus. This procedure is called intrauterine insemination (IUI) and causes minimal discomfort as well as cost. IVF involves removing the eggs and fertilizing them with the male partner’s sperm in the laboratory and then transferring the resulting embryos to the female’s uterus. In some cases may be used with donor sperm rather than sperm from the male partner. With any treatment, a woman’s age affects the chance of pregnancy. In women over 40, the success rate of  IUI is generally less than 5% per cycle. This compares to success rates of around 10% for women ages less than 40. IVF is more effective but also has relatively low success rates in women 40 and older, generally less than 20% per cycle.