Exploring literature for conceptualisations of male infertility: A phenomenological analysis

Abstract

Fathering a child is an important aspect of the identity of a man as motherhood is for a woman. Male factor infertility is one reason for the inability to father a child and this can contribute to many issues for a man at a personal or societal level. Although male infertility is a major contributing factor for the overall infertility for couples, our understanding of it is minimal. The objective of this exercise is to describe the meanings that men attach to their inability to reproduce and the conceptualisations of male infertility. A phenomenological approach has been used to analyse texts and available scholarly material. The phenomenological approach used to understand the conceptualisation of male infertility enabled the identification of stages of the infertility experience for men. The analysis also reveals that male infertility mostly centers around sexuality and masculinity of a man and thus the inability to reproduce questions their manhood.