When we think of the effects of age on baby-making, we tend to focus on women. That withering supply of eggs. Those chromosomal problems. Infertility. But men are affected by age too. There is now a substantial – and growing – body of evidence that suggests delaying fatherhood may carry its own consequences. These are seldom talked about – how often, for example, are men told to “pay more attention” to their biological clocks?
Nor, generally, are fertility services discouraged for older men wanting to be fathers in the way some countries do for older women who want to be mothers. In England and Wales, for example, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence recommends that the NHS does not offer IVF to women over 42, but no mention is made of paternal age in its guidance. Nor is there an agreed definition of “old” when it comes to fathers.
