Essay Sample on Men's Infertility: Overlooked in Modern Society?

Introduction

The contemporary patriarchal society that most modern people subscribe to overlook the many flaws that can be associated with men, yet put attention to the issues concerning women. One of the significant trivial subjects in this regard is the issue of impotence or infertility. While in many societies, the woman comes under scrutiny due to infertility issues, the man comes under less scrutiny. Even in the modern cosmopolitan society that we live in and the information available to many people regarding fertility issues, the women still come under more scrutiny compare to the men. In this regard, this confab will explore the popular media and its illustration of sexual health, with a particular focus on male infertility.

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While the issue of infertility is a known phenomenon in many societies, the issue remains an object of trivia or even taboo topics in some societies. In more conservative societies, male infertility is even overlooked and the women, despite their fertility, may face rejection or trauma if they are in relationships with infertile men for their social standing in such patriarchal societies (Mason, 2003). In such societies, which make the majority of the world's societies, the issue of reproductive health is usually shunned by many media outlets. Media pieces on the issue rarely appear in the mainstream media. It is only in specific medical pieces or channels that the experts in the subject delve into the subject.

Nevertheless, the prevalence of the issue is standard and a significant conflict factor in many families regardless of class, ethnic background or status. It is, however, worth noting that in more developed countries the society is more tolerant to such issues and it is not surprising to find older couples who have spent a long time of their lives living together without the stress of having children or even having families (Mason, 2003). The issue, however, is a significant familial source of dispute in the less developed countries where traditional and conservative societies exist and thrive to date.

According to research, the rates of infertility in women has declined significantly compared to male infertility. Clinically, the recent past has seen a decline in female infertility compared to male infertility. More men are being recorded with infertility issues compared to women especially considering the morphology of the male reproductive system and its susceptibility to many issues that include working conditions and other significant stressors that affect the reproduction of healthy sperm or healthy sperm counts to enable many men to conceive.

In popular media, for example, it is common for people to come across media pieces on the significance of observing proper diets, or living healthy lifestyles, especially when couples are trying to have kids. It is especially common to come across media pieces on the importance of men observing less stressful situations in such times (Miyamoto et al., 2012 ). Several pieces also recommend the avoidance of alcohol and other depressants for men during these stages of their lives. Despite the magnitude of such messages in addressing the issue of male infertility, enough is yet to be done in order to encourage men to consider the reproductive health with the same respect as the social structure has made women regard their sexual health.

It is common to come across various articles or videos of women talking about the various medical issues regarding their reproductive health, yet it is less common to come across such discussions on men's health. The media, on the other hand, is flooded with discussions on male virility and performance. Studies suggest that after a year of unprotected sexual relations, approximately 15% of couples fail to conceive, and after two years, 10% such couples still fail to conceive (Miyamoto et al., 2012). In such cases, several medical issues are generally responsible for the failed pregnancies. Nonetheless, the majority of such cases often affects men more than it affects women.

Biologically, to conceive a child, a man's sperm needs to fertilize a woman's egg. In most cases, the issues that contribute to male infertility are problems regarding the male testicles which are responsible for the manufacture and storage of sperms. Other problems generally revolve around hormonal imbalances that may be triggered by issues such as stress. In about 50% of the cases of male infertility covered in popular media, the causes of male infertility fail to get a proper diagnosis and the particular cause of male infertility.

Currently, infertility and the treatments associated with it appear more often in tv and other popular media outlets than they did in years prior. One may consider that since the issues are getting more representation in the media, the societal perception of the issue is more outgoing and acceptable of people experiencing difficulties in the conception of children. While the society has grown to support and encourage the women struggling with these issues, it has grown distant to the men just like it was with the women in the more conservative societies of the past.

The mainstream media is concentrated in the representation of women who experience trouble with conception only for reasons related to age rather than the medical issues associated with the problem. Today there are several movies whose storylines are associated with such women and their struggles getting pregnant since they focused on their careers in their younger more viable years. On the other hand, there are only a handful of such movies regarding the men majority of which the plot revolves around different issues with the male infertility issue only squeezed in between the mishmash of themes in the movies.

In the television program Greys Anatomy, a TV series with a medical drama and romance background, the main issues or theme represented in the screenplay is fertility (Edge, 2015). In the plot of the series, several celebrities and prominent public figures discuss their infertility issues. The show even features an episode where a Nobel Prize is awarded to the medical practitioner responsible for pioneering In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) (Edge, 2015).

Other popular forms of media that handle issues related to fertility are talk shows where the hosts invite people living with infertility and interview them on their struggles with conception. Of these shows, the majority focus on the women and not the men since less and fewer men are willing to open up about their fertility (Edge, 2015). Of the few that have attended such shows, their interviews have received negative reviews with the majority of them even failing to feature in open hours of TV watching.

Conclusion

Conclusively, infertility, regardless of its technical and medical irreparability, is inseparable from its cultural context. In the majority of the cultures of the world, including the all free American culture, consider parenthood as a significant cultural element of adulthood. Therefore, inferring to this fact, the issue of male infertility remains a less highlighted aspect of the society in a cultural context and from a media representation perspective. Consequently, more efforts should be considered in having male infertility issues highlighted in popular media, with more men being encouraged to open up about their infertility issues, including providing more attention to their reproductive health.

References

Edge, B. W. (2015). Barren or Bountiful?: Analysis of Cultural Values in Popular Media Representations of Infertility.

Mason, M. C. (2003). Male infertility-men talking. Routledge.

Miyamoto, T., Tsujimura, A., Miyagawa, Y., Koh, E., Namiki, M., & Sengoku, K. (2012). Male infertility and its causes in human. Advances in urology, 2012.