Masculinities, infertility and men's health; towards a theoretical understanding of men's experiences of infertility treatments
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Warwick
Department Name: Sch of Health & Social Studies
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Organisations
Publications
Dolan A
(2017)
'It's like taking a bit of masculinity away from you': towards a theoretical understanding of men's experiences of infertility.
in Sociology of health & illness
| Description | The findings presented here are drawn from in-depth semi-structured interviews with twenty-two men undergoing infertility treatment and ten health professionals who provide infertility treatment. • Whilst men and women may differ in their thoughts and feelings about children, becoming a father was clearly important to the men in this study. The men made clear connections between their masculine identity, their (male) bodies and biological fatherhood; "Obviously that's part of being a man is being able to produce children. And when they tell you that you can't, that your semen's no good, it's like taking a bit of masculinity away from you. A bit of being a man". • There was no sense of scepticism or men questioning the validity of their diagnosis nor did men seek to downplay the significance of their defective sperm. Though they did not generally discuss their infertility with other men, in many cases other men were aware of their situation because their partners spoke to other women within their social circles or because they required time off work. • Men's strategies when explaining why they did not have children were not acceptable long-term life-stories and would have to be rethought if treatment was not successful. Although these men could see a future without children they were concerned about the sustainability of their relationships if they remained childless. Underlying this aspect of their accounts was the implicit threat that another (i.e. fertile) man could take their place with damaging implications for their masculine identity; "It's my problem really. If she was with somebody else she wouldn't have to go through all this. So there is that bugging away in the background". • Within the clinic, men appeared to have a diminished physical presence and silence became the dominant way of performing masculinity; "You see them sitting in the waiting room and looking away just keeping their heads in the books or their phones. ...More so than the women. ...Not speaking and not looking at people. ...Even men to the men. ...Even after lots of visits here". • The process of providing a sperm sample could leave men feeling that they were on 'a conveyer belt' and the pressures on them to 'perform' meant that the provision of pornography in the sample room was seen as necessary if problematic. Men also highlighted the contradiction between the clinical nature of the room itself and the possibility that they could come into contact with other men's seminal fluid. • Within consultations, men felt that they could simply be defined as the problem. The nature of how men were incorporated into the consultation process also appeared to be guided by the notion that men prefer to discuss technical or informational aspects of the treatment rather than be asked about their well-being. However, the fact that women experience often painful invasive procedures was defined as a more legitimate cause for concern than men's emotional distress. • Despite the potential difficulties that the treatment process presented, the majority of the men reported that they willingly attended for treatment; "I've been to every appointment regardless of whether I'm needed or not. ...It's us that's going through it, not her". • However, men may not necessarily be able to 'champion' their attendance or supportive role, at least not publicly. Unlike other clinical settings where men's behaviour has changed, such as in childbirth, there was no sense of camaraderie amongst men. Thus, although some discernible changes in aspects of masculine attitudes and behaviours regarding infertility and its treatment may be taking place, this does not necessarily constitute the overturning of well understood and accepted expressions across the wider male population in relation to male infertility. |
| Exploitation Route | The main anticipated or potential societal impacts of this project relate to men undergoing treatment for infertility and the range of professionals who treat and support men undergoing infertility treatment. Relatively little is known about the factors that shape men's perceptions and experiences of infertility or their responses to infertility treatment, even in relation to procedures that are uniquely related to them such as providing sperm samples and surgical sperm extraction. This project adds to our theoretical and empirical knowledge in this area and thereby provides the means by which to improve the experiences of men undergoing infertility treatment. For example, the findings have highlighted the difficulties men face when women are present in the sample room waiting area, which could be addressed with specific appointment times for those men accompanied by women. The findings have also indicated certain difficulties associated with the pornography provided within the sample room and the potential shift to DVDs as a means of overcoming some of these difficulties. Other potential changes in practice relate to men's names appearing on all paperwork and that health professionals call both partners names at the start of consultations. These relatively minor changes have been discussed with the study site and are in the process of implementation. Other impacts relate to the consultation process itself, and the ways in which health professionals can incorporate men into consultations while remaining mindful of potential constraints upon men emanating from aspects of dominant masculine identities. Thus, these findings will provide explicit guidance for practice for those working in the field of infertility to help them to better understand and improve the experiences of men undergoing infertility treatment. The findings from this research have been and will continue to be disseminated in a number of different ways to a variety of potential audiences as a means of gaining maximum impact. The findings of the study have been presented at a specific dissemination event. This event attracted fifty delegates from across the UK and from a range of professional and academic disciplines including Embryologists, Andrologists, representatives from various counselling associations and the Klinefelter's Syndrome Association, as well as other practitioners and academics working in the fields of infertility and men's health. The findings of the study have also been presented at a multi-disciplinary team meeting at an assisted reproduction clinic in the Midlands and to an academic audience via a presentation at the 45th National Medical Sociology Conference in York. The findings have also been presented at a Divisional Seminar within Warwick Medical School. Looking forward, a number of academic papers for a range of peer reviewed journals are in progress. These focus on the separate issues of men's experiences of infertility and men's experiences of infertility treatment. The findings of this research will also be presented at a prestigious men's health conference; 'Men, health and wellbeing' that is taking place in July 2014. An abstract has also been submitted to the Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) in June in Munich, Germany. In terms of informing practice, preparations are underway to present the findings at regional group meetings of a national counselling association and at other assisted conception settings across the Midlands. It is also intended that the findings will be presented at a meeting of the Klinefelter's Syndrome Association. |
| Sectors | Healthcare |
| Description | A half-day seminar presented the findings to a range of members from a number of organisations including the British Infertility Counselling Association, Infertility Network UK, the British Fertility Association, and the British Infertility Counselling Association. Many of the delegates reported that they would report the findings back to their organisations and would suggest the implementation of the more straightforward aspects of practice change regarding men. For example, the more prominent use of men's names on their own paperwork and the use of both male and female names in the clinic setting were seen as aspects of the findings that can be implemented. Following the seminar, the findings were presented within a number of assisted conception clinics in the West Midlands and in London. In each of these, the clinical staff took on board the significance of implementing what appear to be quite minor changes in practice, but which men reported as significant to them. These aspects of the findings were also discussed at the 30th Annual Meeting of the ESHRE in Munich and when the findings were presented at the 20th Annual Participants' meeting of UKNEQAS in Manchester. It is hoped that even such minor changes in practice within assisted conception clinics can have a positive impact on men's experiences whilst undergoing infertility treatment. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2014 |
| Sector | Healthcare |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |
| Description | Men and Infertility Treatment |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of the the findings of the study at a multi-disciplinary team meeting at an assisted reproduction clinic (site of study) This led to an invitation to present at other assisted conception units |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Men, Infertility and Infertilty Treatment |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Participants in your research and patient groups |
| Results and Impact | Seminar at Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick Led to an invite to participate in other research projects |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Men, masculinity and infertility: towards a theoretical understanding of men's experiences of infertility and its treatment |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of the findings of the study at the 45th National Medical Sociology Conference in York. This resulted in an invite to be part of a national network of academics interested in infertility issues |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |