For generations, infertility has been quietly assigned to women — their bodies the site of scrutiny, their emotions the vessel for grief. Yet medicine has long known that nearly half of all infertility cases trace back to male factors, a truth obscured by cultural ideas about masculinity that discourage men from seeking testing. In clinics across India and beyond, couples lose months or years to incomplete diagnoses, while the emotional weight accumulates unevenly. The science is settled; what lags behind is the willingness to let go of a story that has never served anyone well.
Male infertility accounts for half of cases, yet stigma keeps men silent
61% of individuals dealing with infertility experience anxiety or depression symptoms, with emotional burden disproportionately falling on women due to delayed male diagnosis.