To be or not to be [fertile], that is the question

Background

According to our literature analysis, there are no data focused on spermatozoa emotional representations in childless men and data on the emotional repercussions of a diagnosis of infertility on men are still scarce. Thus, in this work, we investigated what the presence or absence of spermatozoa in the semen symbolize for men.

Material and methods

To answer this question, 441 childless heterosexual men participated in an anonymous, prospective, Internet-based survey.

Results

In response to the question “What would having a high or normal sperm count symbolize for you?” the most frequent answer was “ability to father a child”. Men living with a partner were significantly more likely than single men to answer “ability to father a child” (p < 0.05) and less likely to answer “virility” and/or “ability to have an erection/ejaculation” (p = 0.001). In response to the question “If you found out that you had a low sperm count or no spermatozoa at all, how would you feel?”, most of the men stated that they would be disappointed. Men living with a partner were more likely to state that they would feel ashamed (p < 0.05) or guilty with regard to their partner (p < 0.0001).

Conclusions

These preliminary results should help us to improve (i) the way that male infertility is announced (it is easier to find the right words if one understands the possible importance of having a high sperm count) and (ii) the psychological, marital and sexual counselling provided to men with a diagnosis of infertility.

[What does a thorough personality questionnaire, the MMPI-2, tell us about psychological aspects of recurrent miscarriage?]

OBJECTIVES

Try to analyse the experience of couples undergoing repeated miscarriages by answering the following questions: what can we learn from these men and women who suffered from repeated miscarriages?

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A thorough personality questionnaire, the MMPI-2, presented to 50 couples who have had repeated miscarriages.

RESULTS

Through a hierarchical classification, different profiles appear in the men's group as well as in the women's group, revealing a somatization of psychological suffering. It is also revealing acute defensive personality profiles showing restricted affects in a lot of these men whose partners have suffered from multiple procreation failures. Such a narrower range of emotions can be a cause of additional pain for their partner and for themselves.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

We can therefore establish that, in these circumstances, the medical and/or psychological treatment should include both couple members to improve the marital adjustment and ease the couple towards another pregnancy which is always apprehended with the fear of another failure. A few etiological hypothesis may be evoked.

Blessures dans la filiation et infertilité masculine : étude comparative et psychodynamique

Cette recherche est née de la constatation clinique, à travers les récits de vie d’hommes infertiles, de l’existence de perturbations dans leur filiation. Dans un premier temps, il s’agira de déterminer, à l’aide d’une grille de filiation construite à partir d’une clinique psychanalytique, si, pour certains de ces hommes infertiles, le projet de devenir père pourrait être entravé par leur difficulté à se situer dans leur généalogie et à s’identifier à leur propre père. La comparaison d’un groupe de 30 hommes infertiles avec un groupe de 30 hommes fertiles permet de mettre en évidence l’impact de certains événements dans la filiation sur la capacité à procréer. Le second temps de la recherche sera consacré à une approche psychodynamique qui tentera d’éclairer l’hypothèse d’un lien entre l’impact traumatique de ces événements sur les sujets et sa traduction dans une expression somatique.