THE PREDICAMENT OF MASCULINITY - TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING THE MALES EXPERIENCE OF INFERTILITY TREATMENTS

The commonsense notions that associate fertility and femininity are sh ared by the medical establishment, and have led to the concentration o f research on women in the area of fertility. While feminist critics v iew this state of affairs as a consequence of male domination and emph asize women's predicament, this paper focuses on men's experience in t his area. It is suggested that as research and treatment traditionally focus on the woman, therapies offered to the man are relatively scarc e and his non-medical part in the process places him in a marginal pos ition. The treatment entails embarrassment and anomie. The availabilit y of sperm donation carries its own threat of men's dispensibility. A male-inspired association of procreation with women has led to the dev elopment of female-centered infertility therapies. As a consequence me n have found themselves in a disadvantaged position.