The Chinese experience of male infertility

The purpose of this study was to describe the lived experiences of Chinese men who were diagnosed as infertile. Thirty men who had experienced inferti lity were interviewed in or near the clinic of a large general teaching hos pital located in Taiwan, The interviews were analyzed using content analysi s. Five categories were generated from the interview data: emotional respon se after hearing the diagnosis; seeking possible explanations for the diagn osis; using alternative treatments other than those of Western medicine; st ress from the discovery of the infertility secret by family, relatives, and friends and grief for discontinuation of the family heritage. Men in this study described infertility as a frustrating and stressful experience. Find ings from this study can add to the knowledge base on infertility and contr ibute to recommendations for improving the,ways that health professionals g uide, counsel, and support men who are infertile.