<i>Medice, cura te ipsum</i>: A first‐person experience with male infertility

Sansone, Andrea

doi:10.1111/andr.12920

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…The diagnosis of infertility is by itself a powerful stress factor, mainly for women who feel impaired their female identity, often burdened with social pressure, but also for men who live with discomfort the inability to procreate, especially if the infertility is caused by a male factor [ 1 – 3 ]. Considering that up to 83% of infertile couples report feeling a social pressure to conceive [ 4 ], the decision to access ART increases distress of the couple, also burdened with the costs, the ethical implications and the difficulties in managing eventual failures [ 1 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Inferto-Sex Syndrome (ISS): sexual dysfunction in fertility care setting and assisted reproduction

Luca

Parrettini²,

Sansone³

et al. 2021

J Endocrinol Invest

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Purpose Infertility represents a peculiar social burden affecting more than 15% of couples, provoking it a real threat to the general quality of life and to the sexual health. The medicalization (diagnosis, therapy and follow up) of the lack of fertility is frequently a challenge in term of personal and couple’s involvement. In particular, while the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) has allowed many infertile couples to achieve pregnancy, the therapeutic process faced by the couple bears a strong psychological stress that can affect the couple's quality of life, relationship and sexuality. Despite infertility affects both female and male sexual health, only recently the interest in the effects of ART on the couple's sexuality has grown, especially for women. Methods A literature research on the sexual dysfunction in fertility care and particularly in ART setting was performed. Results Literature largely found that intimacy and sexuality appear specifically impaired by intrusiveness of treatments and medical prescriptions. Moreover, there is a close relationship between emotional, psychological and sexual aspects, which can be integrated in the new concept of Inferto-Sex Syndrome (ISS) that can impair the ART treatment outcomes. Evidence demonstrates that the assessment of sexual function is necessary in couples undergoing diagnosis of infertility and ART. Conclusion A close relationship between infertility and sexuality, both in the female and male partners, was detected. ART treatments may heavily impact on the couple's psychosexual health. A couple-centred program for the integrated management of psychological and sexual dysfunction should be considered in the context of ART programs.

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