Beyond the Binary: Intersectional Nursing Approaches to Male Infertility.

There is limited research exploring men's experiences of infertility, and fewer previous studies have examined what information and support men desire after being diagnosed specifically with male-factor infertility. We conducted a mixed-methods study utilizing a combined sequential, concurrent design (online survey/semi-structured interviews). Survey outcomes (N =12) were analyzed using quantitative data analysis, while qualitative survey data (N = 5) was analyzed by reflexive thematic analysis. Heterosexual men (>18 years), fluent in English, diagnosed solely with male-factor infertility/sub-fertility, who required assisted reproductive treatment within Australia in the past 5 years were recruited online and through fertility clinics Australia-wide. Most men reported that their information and support needs were only somewhat, slightly or not at all met. Preferred information sources on male infertility were a dedicated online resource, app, or fertility doctor/specialist, while support was preferred from fertility specialists and partners. Three themes were identified from the qualitative analysis about men's experiences and support needs when diagnosed with male infertility (a) Ultimate threat to masculinity; (b) Holistic care, and (c) the power of words. The information-rich data collected provided valuable insights into men's experiences of male-factor infertility and important considerations to improve recruitment for future research. A diagnosis of male-factor infertility has the potential to be deeply impactful and difficult to navigate for men. Adequate and holistic information, recognition of emotional impacts, proactive offers of support and sensitive language are needed to improve men's experiences when undergoing assisted reproductive technology.

Male infertility is a major health concern worldwide. While biological causes are well understood, the psychological aspects receive less focus. This gap is evident in clinical practice and research, where emotional, social, and mental health issues linked to male infertility are often neglected or inadequately managed. This review aims to highlight the psychological effects of male infertility, emphasizing mental health, emotional well-being, and the sociocultural factors influencing men's experiences. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed and Web of Science, encompassing English-language studies published between 2010 and 2025. Of the 118 articles identified, 36 met the inclusion criteria based on methodological rigor and relevance. These studies included observational research, clinical trials, qualitative analyses, and systematic reviews that examined psychological outcomes among men diagnosed with infertility. The findings consistently indicate that male infertility is associated with significant psychological distress, including depression, anxiety, diminished self-esteem, and disruptions to masculine identity. Sociocultural expectations that equate fertility with manhood often exacerbate these emotional burdens, especially in patriarchal contexts where infertility is stigmatized or incorrectly attributed to external or spiritual causes. Many men report feelings of emotional suppression, isolation, and reluctance to seek support, which are further complicated by sexual dysfunction and relationship strain. Despite these challenges, psychological support for men remains limited within infertility services, which primarily focus on female partners. This review emphasizes the need for a more inclusive, gender-sensitive, and psychologically informed approach to the care of male infertility. Recognizing male infertility as a complex psychological experience is essential for improving outcomes and promoting holistic reproductive health.

ObjectiveIncreased risk of prostate cancer (PCa) is observed in men with BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations. Sex and gender are key determinants of health and disease although unequal care exists between the sexes. Stereotypical male attitudes are shown to lead to poor health outcomes.MethodsMen with BRCA1/2 mutations and diagnosed with PCa were identified and invited to participate in a qualitative interview study. Data were analysed using a framework approach. “Masculinity theory” was used to report the impact of having both a BRCA1/2 mutation and PCa.ResultsEleven of 15 eligible men were interviewed. The umbrella concept of “Ambiguity in a Masculine World” was evident. Men's responses often matched those of women in a genetic context. Men's BRCA experience was described, as “on the back burner” but “a bonus” enabling familial detection and early diagnosis of PCa. Embodiment of PCa took precedence as men revealed stereotypical “ideal” masculine responses such as stoicism and control while creating new “masculinities” when faced with the vicissitudes of having 2 gendered conditions.ConclusionHealth workers are urged to take a reflexive approach, void of masculine ideals, a belief in which obfuscates men's experience. Research is required regarding men's support needs in the name of equality of care.

Early Versus Late Maturation Arrest: Reproductive Outcomes of Testicular Failure

The aim of this study was to describe the perceptions of infertile men regarding the impact of infertility on their intimate relationships, their experience of treatment and their sources of information and support. A cross-sectional survey of a consecutive cohort of men diagnosed 5 years earlier as infertile at Melbourne IVF and the Royal Women's Hospital Reproductive Services, Melbourne was conducted. Study-specific questions assessed the impact of male factor infertility on the intimate relationships, their perceived quality of infertility-related health care and their preferred sources of infertility-related information and personal support and the effectiveness of these. The response rate was 41% (112/276). Male factor infertility was reported to have had a negative impact on the intimate partner relationship by 25% of men, and 32% reported a negative effect on their sexual satisfaction. Satisfaction with medical care and clinic information was high and not influenced by the outcome of the treatment. Clinic-provided information and discussion with clinic staff were the most strongly preferred sources of information, and the partner and clinic staff were the most valued sources of personal support. Very few men found support groups useful and less than half confided in friends. The findings suggest that for a significant subgroup of men, male factor infertility affects their intimate relationship negatively. Wider sources of social support are not used by infertile men as they rely predominantly on clinic-provided information and support. This indicates that psychologically informed supportive clinical care is particularly important for men diagnosed as infertile.

In recent years, social research surrounding the consequences of infertility has increasingly focused on the male perspective; however, a gap exists in the understanding of men's experiences of male infertility treatment. This review aims to synthesize the existing evidence concerning the psychological, social, and sexual burden of male infertility treatment on men, as well as patient needs during clinical care. A systematic search identified 12 studies that are diverse in design, setting, and methods. Psychological evaluations have found that urological surgery may have a lasting impact on infertility-specific stress, and treatment failure can lead to feelings of depression, grief, and inadequacy. Men tended to have an avoidant coping mechanism throughout fertility treatment, and their self-esteem, relationship quality, and sexual functions can be tied to outcomes of treatment. Partner bonds can be strengthened by mutual support and enhanced communication; couple separation, however, has been noted as a predominant reason for discontinuing male infertility treatment and may be associated with difficult circumstances surrounding severe male infertility. Surgical treatments can affect the sexual functioning of infertile men; however, the impact of testicular sperm extraction outcomes appears to be psychologically driven whereas the improvements after microsurgical varicocelectomy are only evident in hypogonadal men. Clinically, there is a need for better inclusion, communication, education, and resource provision, to address reported issues of marginalization and uncertainty in men. Routine psychosocial screening in cases of severe male infertility and follow-up in cases of surgical treatment failure are likely beneficial.

With the rise of prejudice and discrimination against ethnic and immigrant minorities, strategies to reduce prejudice and discrimination, and to counteract the impact of intolerant, anti-egalitarian ideologies, are needed. Here we focused on cultural humility, i.e., the ability to have a humble and other-oriented approach to others’ cultural backgrounds, resulting from self-examination and critical thinking about structural privileges and inequalities. In this research we proposed that cultural humility might attenuate the effects of intolerant, anti-egalitarian ideologies such as social dominance orientation (SDO) and right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) on negative intergroup attitudes and perceptions. In a correlational study conducted in Italy, we found that cultural humility moderated the associations between SDO and prejudice toward immigrants, as well as between SDO and perceptions of threat posed by immigrants. Specifically, the associations of SDO with prejudice and threat were lower among respondents with high cultural humility compared to respondents with low cultural humility. Conversely, cultural humility did not moderate the effects of RWA on prejudice and threat. Findings are discussed considering the motivations underlying prejudice of high-SDO and high-RWA individuals, and proposing cultural humility training to foster positive intergroup relations.

Male infertility continues to be a clinical challenge of increasing significance. While male factors such as decreased semen quality are responsible for 25% of all infertility issues, the etiology of suboptimal semen quality is poorly understood. Many physiological, environmental, and genetic factors have been implicated, including oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS), or free radicals, and although ROS are required for critical aspects of sperm function, excessive levels of ROS can negatively impact sperm quality. The origin of ROS generation, and the etiologies of increased ROS in men with suboptimal sperm quality have only recently been elucidated, offering multiple targets for potential therapy. Here, we present a critical review of the literature describing the role of oxidative stress on decreased sperm function, as well as the role of antioxidants in the treatment of male factor infertility.

L'A. examine la construction sociale masculine de la reproduction. Il s'efforce de comprendre l'impact de ce type de phenomene sur les politiques de la sante et plus particulierement sur celles concernant les affections des fœtus. Il analyse de quelle maniere les notions de paternite et de maternite ont ete contruites socialement. Il evoque la situation des nourrissons victimes du «crack» et celle des meres intoxiquees. Il affirme que la litterature en toxicologie tend a minimiser le role du sperme des peres toxicomanes en matiere de transmission d'affections au nourrisson. Il etudie les differentes conceptions concernant le role du sperme en matiere de reproduction et estime que le sperme peut etre un vecteur pathologique en cas de toxicomanie et d'alcoolisme. Il envisage les discours populaires en ce qui concerne la reproduction et notamment ceux vehicules par les medias et montre qu'ils interviennent dans la definition de ce qui est politiquement correct

This commentary responds to Keylor and Apfel's (this issue) article on male infertility. The authors present a very important article about a subject that is undertheorized. Although they present important research and clinical material describing some men's experiences of infertility, their approach to masculinity is limited and keeps men in a box of phallocentricity that it seems would only add insult to injury for a man struggling with infertility. This commentary presents a brief overview of what fertility treatments typically entail and explores some ways in which cultural constructions of masculinity would be supported and threatened through these treatments. The cultural context of gender in fertility treatments is discussed. Questions about masculinity and fatherhood are raised for further exploration. Keylor and Apfel's descriptions of the ways in which fertility treatments can reenact significant psychoanalytic themes of development are discussed and placed within a cultural context of gender.

In Conceiving Masculinity, Barnes sets out an ethnographic work from a North American perspective. Based upon her 2011 dissertation, and conceived through her own encounter with reproductive technologies, she draws from fieldwork of 24 men's experiences of infertility diagnoses and treatment.1 Barnes's central argument is that instead of emasculating, the medical and societal system empowers and reinforces gender order and masculinity. The sperm-donating industry ‘was created to protect masculinity’ (p. 151) and the ‘[c]onfining walls of the gender system’ (p. 50) were stifling medical progress and therapy. This then is a book about power and culturally pervasive notions of gender that have shaped understandings of male infertility and vice versa. Building upon the by now extensive literature of sociology of reproduction that establishes connections between male reproduction and the body, she argues that ‘science and medicine are driven by remarkably unscientific ideas about gender’ and shaped ‘by the power dynamics between men and women and between doctors and patients’ (p. 50).

BACKGROUND:Approximately 15 percent of all the couples are involuntarily childless in reproductive ages. The ability to reproduce and give birth to a child is an important part of the human beings life; thus, infertility can cause anxiety for the infertile people. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate men's experiences from male infertility.METHODS:This was a descriptive phenomenological study. The data were collected using in-depth interview of ten infertile men. The interviews were taped and then transcribed on the paper for analyzing through seven-step Colaizzi method. Considering that in qualitative studies, study population is not considered, therefore there was no limitation in location for collecting the data and the participants selected from the infertile men of the society.RESULTS:Four main concepts were obtained in association with infertility phenomenon: individual stress, challenges in communication, problems associated with treatment process and the effects of beliefs and religious attitude.CONCLUSIONS:According to the results of this study, it seems that all the different life aspects of infertile were affected by infertility. Thus, designing and conducting conductive and supportive programs plays an important role for providing better care for infertile men.

This chapter explores trans men's mental healthcare experiences in the Southeastern United States. Structural barriers, such as low socioeconomic status, un- and underemployment, and being un- or underinsured, alongside interpersonal barriers, such as discrimination from providers and staff, leave many trans people without the resources and access they need to address their mental health needs. These structural and interpersonal barriers are exacerbated in the South, and in rural areas more generally. Through interviews with 51 trans men in the region, we examine trans men's experiences locating mental healthcare and dealing with uneducated, and sometimes hostile, mental healthcare providers and staff. Overall, trans men report a lack of appropriate resources. The men in this study discussed long hours searching for mental healthcare providers, driving long distances to reach providers who would serve them, and then still having to educate their healthcare providers about what it means to be trans.

This article considers how recent French documentary filmmaking has engaged with the representation of masculinities in some of Paris's most emblematic banlieues. Focusing on Alice Diop's sixth film Vers la tendresse (2016), which brings to the screen testimonies of straight and gay men from La Courneuve, Aulnay-sous-Bois, and Montreuil, this article examines how the documentary form offers new ways to interrogate men's experiences of love and relationships in the French peripheries. Drawing on an interview with the filmmaker, this article argues that Diop's conversation-based performative documentary filmmaking, with its detaching of image from sound, destabilizes viewer assumptions and challenges cultural clichés about men and emotion. By emphasizing the universal characteristics of the men's personal accounts, this article suggests that Diop's film reclaims the banlieues from the stereotype of a marginal space of “otherness” and offers instead singular narratives, voicing poignant portraits of masculinities that resonate widely in twenty-first century France.

This chapter considers how gender theory and in particular a broad understanding of theories of masculinities can help in our health responses to male victims and perpetrators of domestic violence and abuse. It seeks to redress that imbalance by contributing to the wider debate about the impact of coercive control on men as both victims and perpetrators. The chapter describes the context in which men's experiences of potentially abusive behaviours takes place, before outlining different theoretical positions in relation to theories of masculinity. It outlines the methodology of the research before reporting on the qualitative data and the findings and emerging themes. The chapter looks at accounts of men, as both victims and perpetrators of domestic violence and abuse, in order to explore how they talk about restrictions on their freedom, and about control within their relationships, and the intersections with masculine identities.