How Age Affects Fertility

Age affects fertility. In the years following puberty, both males and females become reproductive. Ovulation and menstruation are the first signs that a girl is entering her reproductive years. Getting pregnant after menopause is often thought to be impossible for women. Fertility can be anticipated to end years before menopause because women's reproductive capacity declines as they age. Due to typical age-related changes in the ovaries, women's fertility falls as they age. The egg-containing follicles in a woman's ovaries are all present at birth. At birth, around one million follicles are present. By puberty, only about 300,000 remain.

In a woman's 20s, her prime reproductive years occur. Because egg quality declines as the quantity of remaining eggs diminishes, women become less likely to become pregnant and more likely to miscarry. As she enters her mid-to late-30s, these changes become more apparent. The age of the lady therefore affects egg quality. The prevalence of genetic anomalies known as aneuploidy represents a significant decrease in egg quality (too many or too few chromosomes in the egg). A typical egg should have 23 chromosomes upon fertilization, and when that egg is fertilized by a sperm that has 23 chromosomes as well, the developing embryo should have the appropriate number of 46 chromosomes. Women experience an increasing number of fewer or more chromosomes. Women's fertility naturally decreases as they age. But in women, both the starting point and the pace of decline vary greatly, always starting well before menopause.

Fertility typically starts to decline in your late 20s or early 30s, and it declines more quickly beyond the age of 35. If a woman decides to wait until she is at least 35 years old to get pregnant, she should learn about the proper screening and medical care while being realistic about her odds of experiencing successful infertility treatment. A woman and her partner will be more equipped to choose the right course of action if they are informed about all of their alternatives and conscious of their own wants and objectives.