Infertility and perceived chance of conception among men in Malawi

Abstract

Infertility is a common experience among individuals and couples worldwide, but few studies focus on men’s reports of infertility or perceived chance of conceiving, particularly in high-fertility, pronatalist contexts where infertility is highly stigmatized. Using data from the fourth wave of the Umoyo wa Thanzi (UTHA) cohort study in rural Central Malawi (2017–2018), we examine the relationship between self-reported infertility, the perceived chance of conceiving within one year, and sociodemographic characteristics among men (N = 484). While 13% of men reported that they had experienced infertility, just 4% of men perceived that they were unlikely or there was no chance they would conceive with their partner within one year of having sex without contraception. In multivariable logistic regression models, older age was associated with experienced infertility (AOR: 1.06, p < 0.05) and higher parity was associated with lower odds of reporting that conception was unlikely or there was no chance of conception (AOR: 0.08; p < 0.05). We argue that additional research on infertility focusing on men is critical in gaining a more holistic and gender-equitable understanding of infertility. Including men in infertility research may also contribute to destigmatizing infertility among both women and men by acknowledging men’s roles in infertility.