MALE fertility plummets at the age of 51 when fellas hit the “manopause”, a study found.
These older blokes were a third less likely to conceive than those under 35.
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Previous warnings about fertility and the body clock have focused on girls and women. But experts now say boys should also be told not to wait too long if they want to start a family.
Researchers analysed pregnancy rates for 4,271 men at an IVF clinic in London. They found those aged 51 and over were less likely to conceive – even with young partners. This is the same age at which an average woman hits menopause.
Some 49.9 per cent of under-35s achieved pregnancy but only 30.5 per cent of the over-51s. Rates fell steadily between these age groups.
Semen analysis revealed older men were a third less likely to meet sperm quality standards. It may explain the higher risk of older men having kids with autism and schizophrenia.
Celebrities such as Simon Cowell, Rod Stewart and Mick Jagger have had kids after the age of 51. But study leader Dr Guy Morris, from University College London, said they are exceptions.
He added: “The quality and quantity of sperm production declines with age and this seems to have a significant effect after the age of 50.
“There may well be a public perception that male fertility is independent of age.
“Stories of celebrity men fathering children into their sixties may give a skewed perspective on the potential risks of delaying fatherhood.
“Our data certainly support the importance of educating men about their fertility and the risks of delaying fatherhood.”
Prof Adam Balen, of the Fertility Education Initiative, said: “We want to see fertility taught as part of the curriculum and have been successful in getting it included.
“Young men need to know they won’t necessarily remain fertile their whole life and are more likely to have problems as they age.”
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Dr Jane Stewart, of the British Fertility Society, said: “When people see ageing celebrities such as Rod Stewart becoming fathers, it is easy to assume that older men are just as fertile as their younger counterparts.” Simon Cowell’s son Eric was born in 2014 when the X Factor judge was 54.
And singer Rod Stewart, was 66 when his eighth child, Aiden, was delivered in 2011.
The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Vienna, Austria.
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