I agree, with the caveat we are talking about men's birthdays. Realistically for most guys that kind of self centered BS should go out the window no later than turning 30 or upon the commencement of parenting, whichever comes first.
If, however, we are talking about women's birthdays things are substantially more...tricky. As with anything pertaining to the fairer sex there is no standard rule to apply and the degree of difficulty in determining how best to proceed varies wildly. It's not unlike trying to decipher what "nothing" means. You pay your dues, you take your chances. As always, God help your ignorant azz should you get it wrong.