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. 2024 Feb 19;21(1):26.
doi: 10.1186/s12978-024-01749-6.

The psychosocial impact of male infertility on men undergoing ICSI treatment: a qualitative study

Carmen E J de Vries  1   2 , Esther M Veerman-Verweij  1 , Agnes van den Hoogen  1 , Janneke M de Man-van Ginkel  3 , Henriëtta D L Ockhuijsen  4
Affiliations

The psychosocial impact of male infertility on men undergoing ICSI treatment: a qualitative study

Carmen E J de Vries et al. Reprod Health. .

Abstract

Background: Male infertility is in 20-70% of cases the cause of a couple's infertility. Severe forms of male infertility are best treated with Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). The psychosocial impact of infertility and ICSI on men is unclear because the focus is socially, clinically, and scientifically on women. However, there is evidence that it can affect the psychological well-being of men, but these studies are mainly quantitative. Qualitative research needed to explore the experiences of infertile men in-depth is limited. Therefore, the objective of this study was to clarify the psychosocial consequences of male infertility on men undergoing ICSI to understand their experiences with reproduction problems more comprehensively.

Methods: In this generic qualitative study, men who were undergoing or had undergone ICSI after a male factor infertility diagnosis were included. A purposive sample with maximum variation was sought in a fertility clinic of one university medical centre in the Netherlands. Data were collected through individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes from the data.

Results: Nineteen Dutch men were interviewed. The mean duration of the interviews was 90 min. An everyday contributing backpack was identified as the main theme, as men indicated that they always carried the psychosocial consequences of infertility and ICSI with them. Different world perspective, Turbulence of emotions, Changing relation, and Selective sharing were the psychosocial consequences that men were most affected by. Moreover, men indicated that they were Searching for contribution during ICSI because the focus was entirely on the woman.

Conclusion: Men with male infertility experience psychosocial problems due to infertility and ICSI treatment. Healthcare professionals need to recognize the impact of infertility on men and create room for a role for them during ICSI.

Keywords: ICSI; Male infertility; Psychosocial functioning; Qualitative research.

Plain language summary

Infertility, defined as not being able to get pregnant after at least 1 year of unprotected sex, is often caused by a male problem. ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection) is the suggested treatment for couples dealing with male infertility. During this treatment, in the laboratory, a single sperm is injected into an egg of the woman. This procedure can create an embryo that can be transferred into the woman’s uterus. Women, unlike men, have to undergo many medical examinations and treatments during ICSI which can cause changes in their mental well-being. How and whether men’s psychological and social well-being can be affected by infertility and ICSI is unclear. Therefore, by interviewing 19 Dutch men dealing with male infertility who were undergoing or had undergone ICSI, an attempt was made to better understand reproductive problems from their perspective. The interviews were all face-to-face and had a mean duration of 90 min. We found that men experienced various psychosocial consequences from infertility and ICSI: they started looking at the world differently, their relationship with their partner changed, emotions alternated, information sharing became selective and they were searching for contribution. The main theme: An everyday contributing backpack was identified, as men indicated that they always carried these psychosocial consequences with them in their daily lives. From this qualitative research, it has become clear that men dealing with male infertility experience psychosocial problems due to infertility and ICSI treatment. Healthcare professionals need to recognize the impact of infertility on men and create room for them.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The development from codes to themes
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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