The fertile period in men only ends near the age of 60, when their testosterone levels decrease and the production of sperm decreases. But despite this, there are cases of men over 60 who can get a woman pregnant. This is because, although sperm production slows down, it does not stop completely until the end of man's life.
This makes the man have a constant fertile period, from the beginning of puberty, unlike the woman. The woman, despite being prepared to conceive from her first menstruation, menarche, only gets pregnant during a short fertile period each month. This period lasts about 6 days and only happens once a month, and stops occurring when menopause begins.
Until what age is man fertile?
Male fertility begins on average at age 12, which is the age at which the male sex organs are mature and capable of producing sperm. Thus, if there is no change that interferes with the process of sperm production, the fertile period of the male lasts until the so-called andropause, which corresponds to the menopause that occurs in women.
The symptoms of andropause usually arises between the ages of 50 and 60 and is characterized by decreased production of testosterone, which directly interferes with the ability to produce spermatozoa. However, this can be controlled by hormone replacement testosterone, which should be done as directed by the doctor.
Despite the decline in testosterone concentration over time, the production of viable sperm can still occur and is therefore fertile.
How to evaluate fertility
The fertility of the man can be verified by means of some laboratory tests that inform the capacity of production of spermatozoa, as well as their characteristics. Thus, urology can request the following:
- Spermogram, in which semen characteristics, such as viscosity, pH, number of spermatozoa per ml of semen, shape, motility and concentration of live spermatozoa are evaluated. Thus, the physician can indicate whether the man is fertile or whether the infertility is due to insufficient production of spermatozoa or production of unviable spermatozoa;
- Dosage of testosterone, because this hormone is responsible for stimulating the production of spermatozoa, being therefore directly related to the reproductive capacity of man;
- Post-coital test, which verifies the ability of the sperm to swim through the cervical mucus, which is the mucus responsible for the lubrication of the woman, and thus fertilize the egg.
In addition to these tests, the urologist may request the ultrasound examination of the testicles in order to verify any changes in this organ and that may interfere with male fertility. Learn more about male fertility testing.
