This past August, twin girls were born to a woman in Minnesota following IVF using donor sperm. The real news here is that the sperm had been donated and cryopreserved in 1971.
This news article on TwinCities.com offers interesting details about the donor and his journey to “carry on his family's bloodline.” The story is also yet another that points to the resiliency of sperm cells and their viability for fertility treatment by patients who need to use frozen donor specimens to conceive.
The article also importantly points out that even our amazing assisted reproductive technology cannot completely defeat the power of passing time's impact on fertility. All that could be revealed in the media about the donor's age was that he was at least 25 years old when his deposit was made. Presumably, since the donor participated in the selection of a couple in this unusual case, he was not too far from age 25 in 1971.
While men have always been thought to be able to father children later in old age than can women, we are now learning that, in reality, there are greater chances of older men passing on inheritable mutations. Reproductive specialists recommend that young men who will face impaired fertility – such as from cancer treatment or even being in harm's way in terms of military deployment or job-related risks – can take steps to preserve their future fertility by banking their sperm.
The article also importantly points out that even our amazing assisted reproductive technology cannot completely defeat the power of passing time's impact on fertility. All that could be revealed in the media about the donor's age was that he was at least 25 years old when his deposit was made. Presumably, since the donor participated in the selection of a couple in this unusual case, he was not too far from age 25 in 1971.
While men have always been thought to be able to father children later in old age than can women, we are now learning that, in reality, there are greater chances of older men passing on inheritable mutations. Reproductive specialists recommend that young men who will face impaired fertility – such as from cancer treatment or even being in harm's way in terms of military deployment or job-related risks – can take steps to preserve their future fertility by banking their sperm.
~ Dr. Sonja Kristiansen M.D.
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