New research has provided the most precise insight yet into when biological clocks start ticking loudly — and it's sooner than once thought: age 27 for women and 35 for men.
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May 1, 2002
By Robert H. Shmerling, M.D.
Harvard Medical School
How does this article relate to me?
The big news in this story is that fertility starts to decline earlier in women and men than previously thought. Whether this matters much to you depends on your age, your gender and your plans for having children. The closer you are to age 27 for women or age 35 for men, the more you may want to consider the extra time it may take to become pregnant. However, it is important to recognize that this study analyzed the chances of pregnancy for each menstrual cycle among women up to age 39, not the chances of ever having a successful pregnancy. That means it may take a month or two longer to become pregnant if you are a woman in your late 30s compared with younger women; similarly, if you are a man over age 35, it may take your partner a bit longer to conceive, but none of this means you cannot have children. The study reports averages, so not every older couple will take longer to conceive and not every younger couple will become pregnant right away.
What changes do I need to make?
If you are planning to have children soon, this information may influence your decision about when to start. However, the importance of the study should not be overstated: it does not mean you will be infertile if you wait until you are older than 27 for women or 35 for men. Women planning to become pregnant should start taking folate (or a "prenatal vitamin" that contains folate), which reduces the risk of certain birth defects. Having sexual intercourse during the ideal time of the menstrual cycle (the 6 days leading up to ovulation) may increase your chances of getting pregnant sooner. You can estimate when ovulation is likely to occur in a number of ways. These include close monitoring of your menstrual cycles, checking daily body temperature or by (pain in the lower abdomen or breast tenderness at mid-cycle).
What can I expect in the future?
Unanswered questions from this report include:
- Why does fertility decline in adults as they age? If the mechanism can be identified, is there a way to counteract it so that aging adults can maintain the fertility of their youth?
- Can the decline in fertility noted in adults as they age be used to devise new methods of birth control? For example, if a change in the balance of certain hormones is found to reduce fertility as we age, treatments for women or men could be devised using those hormones to temporarily prevent pregnancy.
- What happens to fertility among women over age 39? Does the decline that begins at age 27 continue in a gradual way until menopause or does it plummet suddenly after a certain age?
Future research may answer these questions. In the meantime, keep in mind that the vast majority of couples trying to become pregnant do so successfully. A large and increasing number of options are available to help those who encounter difficulties conceiving, with success rates that continue to improve.
Related Areas:
Preparing For Pregnancy
Infertility
