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The Blame That Always Finds the Woman

In many households, when a couple is unable to have a child, the question arises in hushed tones: “What is wrong with her?” The woman is referred to doctors, and relatives whisper in her ear, while elders prescribe prayers, rituals, or remarriage. The man is rarely questioned. This response feels natural to society, but it is unjust and medically incorrect. Infertility is not the woman’s issue. It never was.

The medical community has been saying this for decades, but social thinking has not been on the same wavelength. Infertility is a joint experience. It is a condition that involves two bodies, two health histories, and two biological systems. However, the toll is primarily on women.

What Science Says

As stated by the World Health Organisation, “Infertility is estimated to affect one in six couples worldwide.” This translates to millions of families worldwide who have difficulty conceiving. The most crucial piece of information is this: “Male factors are implicated in 40 to 50 per cent of cases of infertility.” In other words, in almost half the cases, the reason or contributing factor is the man’s reproductive health.

According to doctors, infertility can be explained as a balance. One-third of infertility is caused by women, one-third by men, and the remaining by both or unknown reasons. Pregnancy is not just the woman’s responsibility. Healthy sperm is as essential as healthy eggs.

However, in reality, this equilibrium ceases to exist. The woman is analysed, treated, blamed, and judged, while the man remains untouched.

Why Men Avoid Testing

Men avoid testing. One of the main reasons why male infertility remains hidden is the fear of it. In many societies, including India, fertility is often associated with masculinity. The ability of a man to father children is often a measure of his masculinity and “manhood.” Due to this, many men are afraid to even think that they might have fertility problems. There is also a misconception that infertility is a sign of sexual weakness. This is not the case. A man can have normal sexual activity and still have a low or zero sperm count. Azoospermia is a condition that affects sperm production, not sexual function. But society does not recognise this. Men remain quiet, avoid tests, and blame their wives.

The Indian Story: A Pattern of Silence

In India, it has been estimated that 10 to 15 percent of couples suffer from infertility. In large cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, there are more instances of male infertility being reported. The reasons include pollution, stressful occupations, prolonged working hours, smoking, alcohol, and obesity.

Even with this, fertility clinics observe women alone or being tested multiple times before men are tested. In many households, men refuse to undergo sperm tests, claiming they are “perfectly fine.” Some only agree after years of unsuccessful treatments. In the process, women undergo hormone injections, scans, painful procedures, and emotional distress, with the problem being in their bodies.

There are many real-life stories behind these statistics. Women are blamed by in-laws, teased by neighbours, or forced into second marriages, even when the problem is with the husband. This silence is at the expense of female dignity but maintains the pride of the male gender.

A Global Crisis, not a Personal Failure

Male infertility is more than a personal or cultural problem. It is a symptom of a global health crisis. Large-scale international research shows that the average sperm count has fallen by over 50 percent in the past four decades. This trend is observed in Asia, Europe, and North America.

Experts think that modern living is a major factor. Chemicals in plastics, pesticides in food, air pollution, and even household items affect male hormones. Recent research has found microplastics in human testicular tissue. This is something that could not have been imagined even a short while ago. It proves that damage to the environment affects men’s reproductive systems.

This is happening quietly. Men are not making themselves infertile through moral failure or weakness. Their bodies are responding to a changing environment.

Lifestyle Choices That Matter More Than We Think

Our daily routine is working to undermine male fertility. Long periods sitting at desks, behind the wheels of cars, and in front of TV and computer screens compress the testicular area, reducing sperm production. Carrying laptops on the lap and/or placing mobile phones in pockets has been discovered to reduce sperm motility.

Smoking damages DNA in sperm. Alcohol disturbs hormonal balance. Obesity causes an imbalance in hormones by favouring oestrogen over others, depressing sperm quality. Inadequate sleep and stress increase cortisol production in the body. These are not weird crazes of modern society; they are common to it.

In India, rising temperatures and increasingly crowded cities add an extra level of risk. Men who spend their days working in traffic, in factories, or other heating-dominated jobs experience constant heat stress related to fertility. A variety of heat-related consequences could affect Asia, including heat waves, heat stress, heat disorders,

The Emotional Price Women Pay

If male infertility is just ignored, then women are left with a heavy psychic burden. They are left with emotional abuse, isolation, and pressure. Many of them suffer from psychological biases, even if there’s no problem evident in physical tests. They are advised to pray or fast if the problem is with them.

In tougher situations, the women are abandoned or left with tacit acceptance regarding second marriages. Worth becomes limited to reproductive capacity. However, the men are less urged to think or work on improving their lifestyles. Such disparities lead to severe, long-lasting emotional wounds. Anxiety and depression, with pride damaged, ensue from the blame concerning infertility.

Rethinking the Narrative

“The way forward begins with the truth.” Infertility needs to be presented not as a problem for women, but for couples. Both spouses have the right to be tested early. Specialists have to promote equal testing. Couples have to abandon blaming women. Men also have voices to express themselves with no embarrassment. Challenges related to childbearing do not make someone weak; they make them human. To confront reality when it comes to medical issues is to act on a principle, not on failure.

A Truth That Should Be Obvious

Infertility is not her issue. It never was. Nor is it his to be ashamed of. In truth, it is a communal health issue influenced by biological factors, lifestyle factors, and environmental issues. Too often, it is placed at the feet of women by society.

Where there are two involved with the process of procreation, then the problem is shared. Until such a simplistic reality is accepted, infertility is destined to wound the wrong people in the wrong places.

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