Gynecologist Dmitry Lubnin has dispelled the widespread myth that sperm quality declines sharply in men over 40, writing in his Telegram channel that the risk of genetic diseases in future children does not rise significantly with age.
According to Lubnin, sperm is completely renewed approximately every 72 to 75 days, meaning a man's age does not exert a decisive influence on its quality. He noted that while individual studies have detected a slight increase in certain risks, the numbers involved are insignificant. Lubnin emphasized that claims of poor sperm quality among men in their 40s are an exaggeration that actually involves microscopic percentages.
Lifestyle and fertility risks
Lubnin added that a man's lifestyle plays a far stronger role in reproductive health than his age. Alcohol abuse, smoking, and other bad habits can degrade sperm quality, whereas occasional drinking or a relatively inactive lifestyle should not cause anyone to abandon plans to have children.
In a related warning on male fertility, urologist Leonid Bokhanov previously cautioned that keeping a laptop on one's lap for long periods can harm conception ability by causing the scrotum to overheat.
