Fit to father? Online accounts of lifestyle changes and help‐seeking on a male infertility board

Abstract

The reproductive realm is routinely viewed as a feminised space requiring women's commitment and labour. By contrast, men's procreative contributions and 'reproductive masculinity' is represented as unproblematic, with men assumed to be fertile across the lifespan. Recent scientific research has, however, cast doubt over these longstanding assumptions, suggesting that a link does exist between 'lifestyle' factors and male fertility. The notion that fertility can be improved with effort (for both women and men) can be located within wider cultural and political shifts which construct individuals as increasingly responsible for acting on health messages and engaging in self-disciplining body projects. Through an exploration of 'lifestyle changes' within a men's online infertility discussion forum board, this paper examines how discourses of individualisation healthism and masculinity are reproduced and interlinked. Our thematic analysis indicates that 'lifestyle work' is construed as crucial for achieving conception - and as a means to demonstrate men's commitment to the dyadic goal of parenthood, which in turn may challenge and extend previous notions of 'reproductive masculinity'.

The social construction of male infertility: a qualitative questionnaire study of men with a male factor infertility diagnosis

“…Previous research, including our own (Hanna and Gough , , , Hanna et al . ), into men's experiences of infertility has focused on men's experiences of infertility in a broad sense rather than focusing specifically on a category of diagnosis. This is partly in order to be inclusive, in that infertility in heterosexual relationships is a ‘joint endeavour’, but also due to the difficulties of recruiting men to talk about a stigmatised issue among men (which Dolan et al .…”

“…A small, but growing, body of evidence shows that many men find infertility highly challenging and are deeply invested in the achievement of conception (Hanna and Gough , Hanna et al . ). Medical professionals are also seen to ‘shield’ men and their masculinity from the realities of infertility, both through their discourse and practice (Barnes ), but in doing so the notion of fertility as feminised is further reinforced.…”

Is it an issue before it’s a problem? Investigating men’s talk about fertility

“…2017, Hanna et al . 2018). What distinguished these two men from the others was an overall high level of fertility awareness, which could be traced back to a general high health awareness and familiarity with the health system, including sexual and reproductive health care.…”

“…2017, Hanna and Gough 2017, Hanna et al . 2018, Throsby and Gill 2004, Tjørnhøj‐Thomsen 2009, Webb and Daniluk 1999), men’s thoughts about their own fertility is relatively seldom in focus.…”

Yonder: Chicken shops, bronchiectasis, fertility, and regrets

“…A Leeds research team recently studied how men have responded to this, by analysing a men's online infertility discussion forum board. 3 They found that 'lifestyle work' is construed as crucial for achieving conceptionand as a means to demonstrate men's commitment to the goal of parenthood. Perhaps in years to come, 'fitness to father' will be part of our lexicon and thinking.…”