Fertility issues can come as a shock to a couple. Many couples spend years using birth control trying not to get pregnant. If the day comes they’d like to try to conceive, and they realize they can’t, it can turn their world on its head. It can feel like everybody is getting pregnant—whether they want to or not—and the fact that they can’t feels like pulling the one losing lottery ticket. Infertility affects men and women very differently because parenthood can mean such different things to each gender. If you and your partner recently found out that he struggles with fertility issues, you may be ready to go into attack mode, looking up alternative options and making every appointment with every fertility specialist. But take a beat, because your partner is going through some emotional turmoil he may not be sharing. Here is how infertility affects men.
He feels he’s let you down
He loves you and he wants to give you everything you want in life—the house you want, the social life you want, and the baby you want. On a very basic level, he feels like he’s failing as a provider.
