IVF success rates ‘can be affected by age of male partner’

New evidence has emerged that the age of the male as well as the female partner can affect the chances of successful conception when using in vitro fertilisation (IVF) techniques.

The Harvard Medical School research analysed all IVF cycles performed at a large fertility centre in the Boston region between 2000 and 2014, with a total of almost 19,000 cycles performed in 7,753 couples.

As expected, the cumulative live birth rate was lowest among couples where the female partner was in the 40 to 42 age band, with the age of the male partner having no impact in these cases.

However, among women who were younger than this, the cumulative incidence of live birth was significantly affected by the age of the male partner, declining as the man in question grew older.

This is an important finding, as the dominant detrimental effect of female age on fertility is well-documented, whereas relatively little is known about how the man's age affects this. Further research is needed to understand how exactly this process works.

Dr Laura Dodge, from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston, said: "In the absence of clear evidence of the mechanisms, the best preconception advice we can offer is to maintain a healthy lifestyle."

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