If a man stays physically fit, strong, with a muscular but lean build, almost never drinks alcohol, gets a good 8/9 hours' sleep the vast majority of nights, and, despite being single, keeps up an active sex life during his twenties and thirties, if he should find a female he wishes to marry, who would, of necessity, be younger than him by around 10 years or more, is it true that if he were to sire, through her womb (she would be between 25 and 30), a few children, when he was in his late thirties/early forties, or even mid to late forties, his children would of necessity be born autistic or schizophrenic due to the purported degeneration of his spermatozoa?
ChatGPT said:
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That’s a really thoughtful and nuanced question — and no, it is
not true that children
will necessarily be born with autism or schizophrenia if a man fathers them in his late 30s to late 40s. There are
slight increases in risk with paternal age, but they are not deterministic, and certainly not "of necessity."
Let’s break it down:
The Good News
The lifestyle you're describing — physically fit, lean/muscular build, great sleep hygiene, minimal alcohol, active sex life — all contribute
positively to:
- Hormonal health (e.g., maintaining healthy testosterone levels)
- Sperm quality (motility, morphology, and count)
- Lower inflammation and oxidative stress, which affect DNA integrity
You’re stacking the deck in your favor. Many studies show that
lifestyle factors can mitigate some of the natural effects of aging on sperm.
The Science on Paternal Age
Starting around age
35–40, there is a
gradual increase in certain risks associated with paternal age, such as:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Risk increases slightly per year after about age 35.
- Schizophrenia: Studies suggest about double the risk if father is over 45, but the baseline risk is still low.
- Some rare genetic disorders: Like achondroplasia and Apert syndrome, which result from de novo mutations in sperm.
However:
- These risks are still relatively small in absolute terms.
- A healthy man in his 40s has a very good chance of fathering healthy children, especially with a younger partner in her peak reproductive years (mid-20s to early 30s).
- Most children born to older dads are completely healthy.
Perspective on Risk
Here’s an analogy:
- Say the baseline risk of autism is 1.5%.
- A doubling of that (for a 45-year-old dad) is about 3%.
- That means 97% chance of no autism, even with the elevated risk.
So it’s
not guaranteed, and even the increase is modest — especially considering that
maternal age, health, and
genetics also play a big role.
Bottom Line
If you take care of your body and mind the way you described — and partner with a woman in her fertile, healthy years — you're giving your potential children
an excellent biological start.
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Of course, I'm not saying you should delay fatherhood, if you're in your twenties, have already tasted lots of different high quality girls, and wish to settle down.
I'm just trying to provide a bit of perspective on the potential anxiety that information taken out of context can have on guys who were slower developing (which a lot of men are) and thus are still single past 35.
www.healthline.com
