Male infertility overlooked as healthcare systems assume women are the problem

Male infertility frequently goes unaddressed, largely because healthcare systems are built on the assumption that fertility issues primarily lie with women. This oversight can lead to significant delays and emotional distress for men seeking to start a family.

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During my entire adolescence, the message was clear: don't have unprotected sex or you could get someone pregnant. So when you're older, you expect everything to happen normally. When it doesn't, you don't know what to do or where to turn.

Luke, from the UK, shared his experience after 18 months of trying to conceive with his wife without success. Despite seeking medical help, the focus remained almost exclusively on his wife. All appointments were scheduled under her name, and even documentation requests were directed to her, despite his details being on file. "Deep down, the whole system is based on the assumption that it's a woman's problem," Luke stated. "The male side is completely overlooked."

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Deep down, the whole system is based on the assumption that it's a woman's problem. The male side is completely overlooked.

After more than a year and a failed IVF attempt, Luke was informed of potential sperm issues. "I thought, 'Are they telling me this now?'" he recounted. "There were aspects of my case that could have been examined much earlier, instead of treating me as a mere companion in the process."

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I thought, 'Are they telling me this now?' There were aspects of my case that could have been examined much earlier, instead of treating me as a mere companion in the process.

Experts confirm this pattern. While guidelines from the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommend joint evaluations for couples struggling to conceive after 12 months of unprotected sex, men are often relegated to the background. Professor Bola Grace from University College London notes that men report feeling excluded, both in healthcare provision and fertility clinics. A 2019 study led by Grace found that many men wished to be more involved but felt their input was not heard, creating a cycle where services exclude men, leading to less male participation, which reinforces the perception of disinterest.

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There can be a real exclusion, even if it's unintentional. Men tell us this happens in various settings: in healthcare provision, in fertility clinics and in counselling.