Egg freezing is indicated in cases of future vasectomy, cancer treatment, prostate surgery and exposure to toxic agents
Summary
Women and men can freeze their eggs and sperm respectively to preserve their fertility, but the limit for freezing sperm is 45 years, as the quality of sperm decreases with age and this can affect the quality of the genetic material. Child.
Egg freezing is an increasingly popular procedure among women who want to delay pregnancy. And, although it’s a less talked about option, men can also freeze their sperm to preserve fertility. But we know that, in the case of women, the quantity of eggs available decreases over time and, after menopause, it is no longer possible to freeze them. In this sense, should men also worry about the action of time? Is there a limit on freezing semen?
“There is no age limit for patients wishing to freeze semen, but those over 45 may experience a decline in the quality of sperm and genetic material. This can pose risks to the child’s formation,” says Fernando Prado, human reproductive specialist, member of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and clinical director of NeoVita.
The specialist explains that, after the age of 40, the quality of sperm decreases.
“Scientists agree that sperm quality declines with age, but there is less consensus on why and how this happens. The drop in testosterone definitely plays a role. Leydig cells in the testicles generate very high levels of testosterone which stimulate sperm production, but these cells decrease in number with age,” explains Fernando.
Factors influencing sperm quality
There are a number of factors that influence sperm quality, so the main issues are concentration (proportion of sperm in the ejaculate), morphology (shape) and sperm motility (ability to move towards the egg).
“It is not yet clear whether the sperm concentration decreases significantly. Some scientists even think that concentration might increase slightly with age. But they are much more concerned about how changes in sperm motility affect male fertility,” adds the doctor.
Another problem linked to late male fertility is the fragmentation of sperm DNA.
“Unlike women, who have a finite number of eggs, men continue to produce sperm throughout their lives. But every time sperm is produced, it reproduces male DNA and with each replication there is a risk of mutations or fragmentation of the DNA. As men age, DNA fragmentation increases, which also leads to an increase in chromosomal anomalies, which can cause health problems in the child, low birth weight and miscarriages or stillbirths,” explains the doctor.
The risk of having children with ASD
Then there is a very controversial but important topic: the risk of having children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) increases with increasing paternal age, a difference that is already noticeable in men who become fathers after the age of 30 and more specifically after 30 years. 30. 40 years old.
“However, the reasons for this increased risk of having children with ASD in older men are not yet known,” underlines the doctor.
In other words, ideally, semen should be frozen until the age of 45, but this does not mean that men after that age cannot necessarily undergo the procedure. “Everything must be evaluated with the doctor,” says the specialist.
He explains that the procedure is particularly suitable, for example, in the case of a future vasectomy, so that, if there is a change in plans in the future, this frozen semen can be used for a new pregnancy.
«Even men who, for work reasons, are heavily exposed to toxic agents may be advised to freeze, as these substances reduce the quantity and motility of sperm. The procedure is also recommended for patients who will undergo chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments, which can lead to sterility, and prostate surgery, which can damage the channels that transport sperm”, he specifies.
The moment of insemination
The doctor also specifies that the semen can be frozen even when the partner cannot be present at the time of in vitro fertilization or insemination, due to work conditions or illness.
According to Fernando Prado, freezing semen is a very simple procedure and collection generally occurs through masturbation.
“When a man has a low count or absence of sperm in his semen, surgery may be performed to remove sperm from the testicle or epididymis,” the doctor says.
After collection, the semen is sent to a specialized freezing laboratory. The material is cooled in liquid nitrogen to -196ºC.
“In general, we recommend storing multiple sperm samples to increase your chances of success. And it is worth emphasizing that sperm freezing is a safe procedure, cheaper than egg freezing, and sperm can be stored for decades, maintaining its quality,” she concludes.
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Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
