OVERCOMING LATE MARRIAGE FERTILITY CHALLENGES.
Getting married in the early or late thirties, and even early forties, is being common among men and women. Marriage is now sidelined as other life priorities take precedence, such as a career, gaining financial security, or self-discovery. While these may be sound choices, they can lead to issues with conceiving when couples plan for a child. Age and fertility are interconnected, and late marriage can contribute to infertility issues.
THE LINK BETWEEN INFERTILITY AND AGE:
It is common to find fertility issues in couples who marry late. There is a factual decrease in fertility with age, which applies to both men and women.
In women, the most crucial factors are the quality and quantity of eggs. As a woman ages, her egg quality declines, and the number of viable and healthy eggs produced in the ovaries decrease. For instance, the availability of eggs in a woman in her late 30s or 40s is significantly lower compared to a woman in her 20s.
At birth, a girl is born with approximately one to two million eggs. This number decreases daily, leaving around 300,000 to 400,000 eggs by the time she reaches adolescence or puberty. With the onset of menstruation, eggs are released in every cycle. About 1,000 eggs die each month, and only one is released during ovulation. By her late thirties, a woman’s egg count is approximately 25,000.
A woman’s peak fertility period is in her late teens to 20s, a time when the ovaries have a large number of high-quality eggs. This is the best time for conception as the chances of success are very high. However, individual fertility varies.
THE DECLINE IN FERTILITY:
As a woman enters her 30s, there is a noticeable change in fertility levels. At the age of 30, the chance of conceiving naturally each month is 1 in 5. After 35, there is a further decrease in the quality and quantity of eggs, making it more challenging to conceive.
Age 36 is considered an important milestone in women’s fertility, though it is not a hard-and-fast rule. Women in their late thirties are still capable of conceiving and having successful pregnancies.
THE QUALITY OF EGGS:
You might wonder how the quality of eggs matters. As a woman ages, the number of abnormal eggs increases. Egg quality is a critical factor for women. It declines with age. According to a 2003 review, 60 per cent of couples aged 30 to 40 can conceive naturally within one year, and 85 per cent can do so within two years. However, with each passing year, the likelihood of eggs with chromosomal issues increases, raising the risk of miscarriages and abnormalities.
HOW MALE FERTILITY IS AFFECTED:
Men are not immune to a decline in fertility as they age. While men can produce new sperm throughout most of their adult life, their fertility begins to decline after 40, By the age of 45, semen volume may reduce significantly. Additionally, sperm quality can decline as early as 30.
Urban lifestyles and environmental factors, such as exposure to chemicals, are believed to contribute to male infertility. Studies have shown that sperm counts have declined globally over the past 20 years.
When a couple marries late, their combined ages influence their fertility, with neither partner being the sole cause.
FERTILITY TREATMENT:
Couples unable to conceive naturally after months or years of trying often face emotional distress. This can strain their relationship and mental health. However, there is no need to lose hope as several fertility treatments can help couples who marry late.
Some of these treatments include:
Medicines: Fertility medications address ovulation problems. For women with irregular or absent ovulation, medication can stimulate the release of eggs. For men, medications may improve fertility in cases of erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, or hormonal imbalances. Couples should understand the benefits and risks of prescribed fertility medications.
Surgery: Women’s infertility caused by conditions such as uterine polyps, scar tissue, or fibroids, can be often treated surgically.. Similarly, men may undergo surgery to correct varicocele or repair obstructed vas deferens.
Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART): Techniques such as in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and intrauterine insemination (IUI) are common ART methods.
ABOUT ART:
The most popular ART method is in-vitro-fertilization (IVF), which typically follows these steps:
- Use fertility medications to stimulate the ovaries to produce more eggs.
- Remove mature eggs from the ovaries.
- Fertilize the eggs with sperm in a laboratory dish.
- Transfer the fertilized eggs, or embryos, into the uterus. Embryos can be frozen for future use.
A specialized IVF technique, Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), involves injecting a single healthy sperm directly into a mature egg. ICSI is preferred when semen quality or quantity is poor or if previous IVF cycles have failed.
In IUI, healthy sperm are placed directly into the uterus during ovulation. Fertility medications may be used to enhance ovulation. While the partner typically provides sperm donor system also be used.
ART is currently the most effective fertility treatment for couples who marry late. Studies suggest IVF offers the best chance of overcoming infertility, surpassing other methods such as ovulation induction and IUI.
NEVER DESPAIR:
With an increasing number of couples choosing late marriages, infertility issues are becoming more common. Sometimes, the exact cause of infertility cannot be determined, However, couples need not lose hope, Most infertility issues can be addressed with advanced reproductive technologies and personalized treatments.
Doctors recommend through tests for both partners and tailor treatments to ensure comfort and success. Remember, infertility is not uncommon, and modern reproductive science offers excellent solutions for a happy outcome.
