Male Infertility A child of my own - Andrology Australia

EMOTIONALISSUESAn emotionalresponse toinfertility is normalWhat emotions can a man experience whendiagnosed with infertility?Most men are shocked when they find out theyare infertile. There is still a common but incorrectbelief that infertility is a female condition.Therefore when men are told that there is a spermproblem, they are often quite unprepared.It is not unusual for men to feel stressed about aninitial diagnosis of infertility.They may also find it difficult to deal with theirstress, particularly if they do not feel comfortabletalking to others about their emotions. Men donot usually express their feelings in the same wayas women, but the anger, guilt and anxiety felt canappear in many ways.Stress often comes from feelings of vulnerability.Being told that there is a sperm problem can havea major impact on a man’s sense of masculinity.Most infertile men at some time struggle with theidea that they are not able to do what other mencan. This may lead men to confuse their infertilitywith their sense of masculinity, sexuality, virilityand potency.It is not unusual for these men to experienceerection difficulties while they try to come to termswith their diagnosis, which can sometimes affecttheir relationship with their partner overall.MALE INFERTILITY 58