Top-Notch Sperm: Use It or Lose It
If you hope to be a father one day, don’t wait forever to put your swimmers to use, suggests a new study in Fertility and Sterility. An analysis of samples from more than 5,000 men ages 16–72 found that, even though guys produce new sperm most of their lives, the little buggers’ quantity and quality decline after age 35. What this means for offspring: An increased risk of autism-related dis- orders in children of older fathers, according to study author Bronte Stone, Ph.D. “There’s also a theoretical risk of a higher incidence of genetic disease and neurologic defects that may manifest as learning difficulties,” Stone says. So the “right time” may be sooner than you’d planned— but, hey, at least it’s planned!
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