⚡ “younger women always have better offspring”, "you must be young to have kids"⚡ The fertility myth we grew up with and what science tells us Let’s dismantle one of the strongest societal beliefs: “The younger the woman is, the healthier the baby.” It’s everywhere — in medicine, culture, family pressure. But modern research shows a much more nuanced truth. It’s everywhere — in medicine, culture, family pressure. But modern research shows a much more nuanced truth. 💣 1. Women’s eggs are not time bombs A groundbreaking study published in 2025 (Arbeithuber B. et al., Science Advances) delivered a surprising discovery: 👉 Egg cells do NOT accumulate mitochondrial DNA mutations with age (ages 20–42). Key findings from this study: - in blood + saliva → mtDNA mutations increase with age - in oocytes → mutation load stays low and stable - eggs had 17–24× fewer mtDNA mutations than somatic tissues This means: Women’s eggs have a powerful protective mechanism that keeps mitochondrial DNA nearly unchanged for decades. So no — eggs do NOT “decay” genetically the way we were told in school biology. But… ⚠️ 2. Age Still Matters but for different reasons The same study explicitly states: 👉 chromosomal abnormalities STILL increase with maternal age This is crucial. The stability of mtDNA does not mean: - eggs do not age - fertility stays the same - older eggs are risk-free What actually changes with age: - ↑ aneuploidy (chromosomal errors) - ↓ ovarian reserve - ↓ quality of ovulation - ↓ follicular environment - ↓ hormonal regulation So yes, age affects female fertility. But not because “eggs fall apart.” Rather because the system around the egg changes. 📌 This aligns with decades of reproductive research and remains consistent. 👨‍🔬 3. And the part society avoids: The man matters too The myth goes: “Men stay fertile forever.” Science strongly disagrees. Studies show that as men age: - sperm DNA fragmentation increases - motility + morphology decrease - risk of autism, schizophrenia & some genetic conditions in offspring increases with paternal age - time to pregnancy becomes longer - miscarriage risk increases