A recent analysis suggests outcomes in live births are not affected by the age of the sperm donor.
The study reaffirms past findings that suggest a couple's fertility relies more strongly on the age of the woman than the man, the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology reported.
To make their findings the researchers looked at 230,000 sperm donation cycles, 39,282 of which were from the first cycle of treatment. (either IVF or donor insemination)
The participants were split into two groups: those who were treated between the ages of 18 and 34; and those who were treated after the age of 37. The sperm donors were divided into six age groups (under 20, 21 to 25, 26 to 30, 31 to 35, 36 to 40, and 41 to 45).
As expected the age of the woman had an effect on the success of the fertility treatment. The live birth rate from IVF with donated sperm was 29 percent in the 18 to 34 age group and about 14 percent in the over 37 group. In these two age groups there was no change in live birth rate relative to the age of the sperm donor.
"Despite these trends," principal investigator Dr Meenakshi Choudhary, from the Newcastle Fertility Centre, said. "It's important to note that the impact of sperm donor age on live birth failed to reach statistical significance in any of the age groups we studied. Indeed, this trend of less likelihood of live birth with younger sperm donor age might simply be explained by the fact that younger men who donate sperm are less likely to have proven fertility themselves than older sperm donors with proven fertility."
The researcher feels confident the age of the sperm donor has little impact on live birth success rates.
"It's sperm quality rather than male age that matters," she said.
