The predicament of masculinity: Towards understanding the male's experience of infertility treatments

The commonsense notions that associate fertility and femininity are shared by the medical establishment, and have led to the concentration of research on women in the area of fertility. While feminist critics view this state of affairs as a consequence of male domination and emphasize women's predicament, this paper focuses on men's experience in this area. It is suggested that as research and treatment traditionally focus on the woman, therapies offered to the man are relatively scarce and his non-medical part in the process places him in a marginal position. The treatment entails embarrassment and anomie. The availability of sperm donation carries its own threat of men's dispensibility. A male-inspired association of procreation with women has led to the development of female-centered infertility therapies. As a consequence men have found themselves in a disadvantaged position.