Men can be affected, too
INFERTILITY is an emotional and traumatic condition for couples, but in most cases, the ones who shoulder the blame are the women. They face intrusive questions and insensitive remarks, be they from strangers and even family members. On top of the myths and misconceptions about infertility, women often shoulder the problem alone.
Though rarely spoken of, infertility can also affect men. Questioning a man about his fertility is seen as taboo while with women, it becomes a topic for open discussion. International data suggests that men account for almost 40% to 50% of infertility cases. Unfortunately, women are likely to be blamed because of cultural notions and their childbearing ability.
Infertility in men can result from two problems: sperm quality and sperm delivery. Sperm quality can be affected by sperm count, motility, shape and size, while sperm delivery can be compromised as a result of many factors, including congenital abnormalities or urogenital tract infections. Lifestyle factors such as age, smoking, drinking and obesity can also raise the risk of infertility in men.
Men are overstudied, but not when it comes to infertility
Why is no one talking about male infertility? While experts are saying that men are over studied in nearly every medical specialty, infertility is not one of them. This has led to the perception that men are less likely to be the “problem partner”.
Liberty Barnes, a medical sociologist at University of Oregon, studied how culture shapes ideas about male infertility. In her 2014 book called Conceiving Masculinity: Male Infertility, Medicine and Identity, she wrote, “The general consensus is that ‘real men’ gush sperm. Male infertility destabilises the presumed fundamental basis of masculinity, disrupts traditional gender roles and hits personal masculine identities right where it counts.”
Barnes spent seven years following infertility doctors all over the US for her book and one of her stark observations was that most women have an ob-gyn who focuses on their reproductive health, while most men do not. She also found that male infertility specialists tend to shield men from the reality of their situations by putting effort into making men feel more secure.
Words such as “infertile” or “infertility” were not even mentioned at appointments. Instead, doctors would say, “Your sperm count is at three million and I was hoping for 15 million.” When a man hears that, he could think that’s really good, but it is, in fact, terrible.
While there is not enough research on how Malaysians look at infertility in men, it is important for people to know that infertility is not solely a woman’s burden. Conceiving is not a one-sided job. If you and your partner have been trying to start a family but efforts have been in vain, it is advisable for both of you to undergo checkups and take necessary action to overcome the obstacle.