Wait… Men Have Biological Clocks Too?
IVF researchers just dropped a truth bomb we didn’t see coming.
Yesterday, I read an article in The Times that left me dumbstruck:
👉 IVF success rates fall for men over 45
Men have biological clocks too!
Did I read that right?
Ok, someone roll back the tape. I thought it was a biological law that men could father children from puberty until the end of time with zero repercussions—a fact that has frustrated women for centuries. We’ve all been taught (read: conditioned) to believe that the sperm factory never closes.
Need examples?
Al Pacino became a dad again at 83.
Mick Jagger welcomed a baby at 73.
News flash—that’s a myth.
New research out of Italy has turned that age-old assumption on its head.
Maria Cristina Guglielmo, an embryologist at Eugin Italia, just published a study that shows sperm from men over 45 are less likely to fertilize an egg, even when that egg comes from a healthy donor in her 20s.
Even more sobering:
The odds of miscarriage increase by nearly 50% when the male partner is over 45 (jumping from 16.3% to 23.8%).
Live birth rates drop by around 7% (from 41% to 35%).
This isn’t just a fertility footnote—it’s a biological reality check. As men age, sperm DNA deteriorates, much like egg DNA does in women. And in IVF cycles, that damage can have very real consequences.
“Traditionally, maternal age has been the central focus in reproductive medicine,” said Dr. Guglielmo in The Times, “but our results show that the age of the male partner also plays a crucial and independent role.”
To be clear: I’m not celebrating this news. Any barrier that makes it harder for hopeful parents to build their families is heartbreaking. But I am celebrating truth because this study challenges outdated assumptions—and that matters deeply for families undergoing IVF.
For too long, fertility has been viewed as a woman’s issue. We’ve been poked, prodded, pressured, and pathologized, while male fertility got a cultural hall pass. That needs to change.
Dr. Guglielmo’s team is calling for a more informed, balanced approach:
“Clinics should ensure that male patients are fully informed about how advancing paternal age can impact fertility potential, pregnancy success, and miscarriage risk—even in donor egg cycles.”
This research also highlights a broader issue: society is waiting longer to have children, often for good reason—education, career, and financial stability. But as we shift timelines, we need to expand our understanding of how biology works for everyone involved.
Thank you, Dr. Guglielmo, for raising the bar on IVF research—and raising awareness.
It turns out, when it comes to fertility, time matters… For all of us.
#malebiologicalclock
#spermagestoo
#maleinfertility
#IVFresearch