Can sperm freezing for 18-year-olds save the human race?
A Scottish scientist proposes sperm freezing for young men in this brave post-Tinder world – so they can became fathers later in life and reduce health risks to their children. Older fathers sperm is prone to mutations and fragmentation as they age. As men delay fatherhood the chances of children developing autism and schizophrenia is thought to increase. Dr Kevin Smith, a bioethicist from Dundee’s Abertay University, expressed his concerns about the health and wellness of future generations. His proposal has ruffled learned feathers across the land. Sperm freezing isn’t successful for the majority of men, so there are no guarantees of happy birthdays after the big thaw.
Sperm freezing has been the preserve of IVF sperm donors, cancer patients and military personnel heading to conflict zones.
While it’s a whole lot easier acquiring sperm from a bloke than eggs from a woman, there’s the small matter of storage costs. A price tag of £200 a year seems reasonable for a Harry Potter style laboratory deal. Remember that’s per person, and may mean decades before the average 18-year-old gets the urge to procreate.Partners need intrauterine insemination or even IVF procedures to conceive.
Can the beleaguered NHS cope with this expense – when it struggles to provide fertility preservation for cancer patients after treatment? Sperm freezing’s the preserve of IVF sperm donors, cancer patients and military personnel heading to conflict zones.
Clinics already host egg-freezing parties for women so do we expect a new kind of stag party for the lads? What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, after all.
False sense of security
Elderly celebrity fathers like Simon Cowell, Rod Stewart and Paul McCartney lull men into complacency regarding fertility in advancing years. A recent study found that only a quarter of men across Europe had healthy sperm – the rest requiring IVF to conceive. (Dr Niels Jorgenson ESHRE 2015 )
Dr Allen Pacey disagrees with the utopian notion of a universal sperm bank. England’s first andrologist – one who studies male fertility – is based at the University of Sheffield. Frozen sperm are less fertile than those freshly ejaculated. There are no guarantees that an artificial insemination or IVF procedure will deliver a baby. A relatively small number of men will reclaim their biological bankings, so he wonders is it worth it?
What they don’t tell you – sperm update
- The WHO has revised normal sperm counts downwards, lulling men into a false sense of security about their fertility. Grand-dad was a lot more fertile and less interested in fashion.
- Male fertility drops off a cliff from age 45 as testosterone levels plummet.
- Infertility is a shared scenario.
- Women fare better in getting pregnant with a younger partner! Having a child already is no guarantee of easy conception second time around.
A semen analysis is a snapshot in time and changes quickly.
Is your man Sabotaging his Fertility?
8. Cycling … narrow saddles combine with tight sweaty lycra for a sperm-frying ride.
