Virility (from the Latin ''virilitas'', manhood or virility, derived from Latin ''vir'', man) refers to any of a wide range of

masculine Masculinity (also called manhood or manliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles generally associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as socially constructed, and there is also evidence that some beh ...

characteristics viewed positively. Virile means "marked by strength or force". Virility is commonly associated with vigour,

health Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, p ...

, sturdiness, and

constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...

, especially in the fathering of children. In this last sense, virility is to men as fertility is to women. ''Virile'' has become obsolete in referring to a "nubile" young woman, or "a maid that is Marriageable or ripe for a Husband, or Virill". Historically, masculine attributes such as

beard A beard is the hair that grows on the jaw, chin, upper lip, lower lip, cheeks, and neck of humans and some non-human animals. In humans, beards are most commonly seen on pubescent or adult males, though women have been observed with beards ...

growth have been seen as signs of virility and leadership (for example in

ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...

and

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

Male virility

Evidence shows that increased male age is associated with a decline in semen volume,

sperm motility Sperm motility describes the ability of sperm to move properly through the female reproductive tract (internal fertilization) or through water ( external fertilization) to reach the egg. Sperm motility can also be thought of as the ''quality'', wh ...

, and sperm morphology. In studies that controlled for female age, comparisons between men under 30 and men over 50 found relative decreases in

pregnancy rate Pregnancy rate is the success rate for getting pregnant. It is the percentage of all attempts that leads to pregnancy, with attempts generally referring to menstrual cycles where insemination or any artificial equivalent is used, which may be simpl ...

s between 23% and 38%. Older men have lower semen parameters resulting in lower fertility potential. The effects of aging on semen quality are summarized below based on a study of 1,219 subjects: Sperm count declines with age, with men aged 50–80 years producing sperm at an average rate of 75% compared with men aged 20–50 years. However, an even larger difference is seen in how many of the

seminiferous tubules Seminiferous tubules are located within the testicles, and are the specific location of meiosis, and the subsequent creation of male gametes, namely spermatozoa. Structure The epithelium of the tubule consists of a type of sustentacular cells ...

in the

testes A testicle or testis ( testes) is the gonad in all male bilaterians, including humans, and is homologous to the ovary in females. Its primary functions are the production of sperm and the secretion of androgens, primarily testosterone. The ...

contain mature sperm: *In males 20–39 years old, 90% of the seminiferous tubules contain mature sperm. *In males 40–69 years old, 50% of the seminiferous tubules contain mature sperm. *In males 80 years old and older, 10% of the seminiferous tubules contain mature sperm.
Effect of Age on Male Fertility
''Seminars in Reproductive Endocrinology''. Volume, Number 3, August 1991. Sherman J. Silber, M.D. Research shows increased risks for health problems for children of older fathers. A large-scale

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

i study found that the children of men who were 40 or older were 5.75 times more likely than children of men under 30 to have an

autism spectrum disorder Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing di ...

, controlling for year of birth, socioeconomic status, and maternal age. Increased paternal age has also been correlated to schizophrenia in numerous studies. Researchers have found evidence to suggest overweight and obesity may cause subtle damage to sperm and prevent healthy pregnancy. They say fertilization was 40% less likely to succeed when the father was overweight. The American Fertility Society recommends an age limit for sperm donors of 50 years or less, and many

fertility clinic Fertility clinics are medical clinics that assist couples, and sometimes individuals, who want to become parents but for medical reasons have been unable to achieve this goal via the natural course. Clinics apply a number of diagnosis tests and ...

s in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

will not accept donations from men over 40 or 45 years of age.Age Limit of Sperm Donors in the United Kingdom
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Male virility

See also

References

Further reading