Couples Marrying Late: Why Both Ovarian and Sperm Health Matter
By Dr Rashmi C Hanchinal
Across Indian cities, the average age of marriage is steadily rising. Career ambitions, financial planning, and evolving social attitudes are prompting many couples to wed in their late 30s or even 40s. While conversations around women’s fertility and ovarian reserve are now relatively common, an equally significant factor is often overlooked — male fertility.
Men Have a Biological Clock Too
There is a widespread belief that only women race against a ticking biological clock, but men do too. Sperm quality — including motility, count, and DNA integrity — declines with age, directly affecting conception rates and the risk of miscarriage.
Traditionally, infertility discussions in India have centred almost entirely on women. Yet research shows that male factors contribute to nearly 40 per cent of infertility cases. After the age of 40, sperm motility (ability to swim) and morphology (shape) decrease, and the likelihood of genetic abnormalities increases. Older fathers are also more likely to pass on conditions such as autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. Although the absolute risk remains low, it does rise with paternal age.
Women’s Clock: Ovarian Reserve in Focus
For women, the decline in fertility is better recognised. Ovarian reserve — the egg count — drops sharply after 35 and unfortunately, it is difficult to increase their numbers. A poor reserve diminishes a woman’s reproductive potential. Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) tests and antral follicle counts are now standard investigations to determine ovarian reserve for women who are considering late marriage or delayed parenthood.
When Clock Ticks for Both
Couples marrying later in life often face compounded fertility challenges. While marrying late does not by itself cause infertility, it has the potential to create fertility challenges for both partners. Assisted reproductive technologies such as IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation) or ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection) can help, but their success rates depend on the quality of both egg and sperm too.
Lifestyle and Fertility: A Shared Responsibility
Age is not the only factor at play here. Smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, obesity, irregular sleep, and stress — all too common factors in urban work cultures — can impair fertility in both men and women.
Simple lifestyle interventions such as a balanced food diet, regular physical activity, avoiding harmful toxins, and ensuring good sleep, can significantly improve reproductive health for both sexes.
Breaking the Stigma
While social stigma still affects women’s fertility issues, male infertility is more of a cultural stigma where the belief system handed down generations links virility with masculinity. Since most men still hesitate to openly discuss the topic of male infertility, they are often reluctant to undergo tests, assuming that fertility is solely a “women’s problem”. It is vital to shift the narrative — infertility is a couple’s issue, not a blame game against women. Conversations about semen analysis for men should be as routine as AMH testing for women.
Proactive Fertility Planning
With late marriages increasingly common in cities such as Bengaluru, Mysuru, Shivamogga and Hubballi, specialists recommend early fertility planning:
Testing by 30: AMH for women, semen analysis for men.
Considering fertility preservation: Egg or sperm freezing if marriage or parenthood is likely to be delayed.
Adopting a fertility-friendly lifestyle early: Do not wait until after marriage to make changes.
Late marriages do not rule out parenthood, but couples must recognise that both biological clocks matter. Fertility is no longer just “her problem” or “his problem”; it is a shared journey requiring equal awareness, preparation, support and timely action.
About the Author
Dr. Rashmi C. Hanchinal, MBBS, MD (OBG), PGIMR (Chandigarh), is a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist and Laparoscopic Surgeon at Sahyadri Narayana Multispeciality Hospital, Shivamogga.
