Men responsible for infertility problems

The majority of infertility problems that Zimbabwean couples experience can be attributed to men’s health and social strains, latest research findings show.
A study by Ms Stancia Moyo of the University of Zimbabwe’s Centre for Population Studies says over 50 percent of infertility issues among the 10 percent of couples that experience such are a result of male infertility.

Ms Moyo’s findings are published in the International Journal of Culture, Health and Sexuality. The study says the subject of male infertility remains taboo “since it runs contrary to cultural definitions of masculinity”.

Male infertility also carries “overtones of failure, frustration, pain, social ostracism, stigma, marital instability, discomfiture and suicide”.

“Infertility is often viewed from a female perspective in African societies, but this is primarily because in these societies, women carry the burden of infertility as they are ‘blamed’, often solely, for childlessness.

“In Zimbabwe, silence surrounds the subject of men’s role in infertility and this is partly because of the patriarchal nature of society and partly because male infertility runs contrary to dominant definitions of masculinity, which define manhood in terms of virility and fecundity.”

Ms Moyo says a great number of men suffer in silence due to the stigma attached with infertility.
She says lifestyle-linked conditions like hypertension and diabetes are among leading causes of infertility and encourages affected men to seek medical attention.

“Long ago, boys underwent different potency tests at infancy, puberty and even after marriage. This was done to provide remedies during the early stages of the problem since impotency was perceived to be associated with male infertility.

“Whenever a baby boy was born, the grandmother and mother of the child constantly checked the growth and size of the baby’s (privates) and also constantly provided feedback to the uncles of the child.

“This whole process was important because it helped identify any anomalies related to the reproductive organ which would require immediate attention since ‘maleness’ in the Shona culture was defined in terms of producing offspring.

“Six months to two years after a baby is born, the mother was supposed to observe the child during the following times: whenever the child is producing urine especially in the morning; at times when the child is asleep; and after removing a nappy.

“If any anomaly to the aforementioned was observed, there was every reason to suspect the possibility of impotence which could result in male factor infertility.”

According to the study, different concoctions were taken to stave off possible male infertility.
Ms Moyo says these included raw eggs which were sometimes mixed with milk, powdered concoctions from tree roots and bark mixed with water or porridge, or raw wild fruits like matamba.

“. . . the elderly would know that if the aforementioned solutions cause a boy to vomit, then there were 100 percent chances that the boy had problems of impotence which could be a manifestation of male infertility,” she says.