Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

Women going through IVF because of male fertility problems

31 replies

iismum · 10/09/2018 13:38

I thought this was an interesting article: www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45419545

It's mostly from the male perspective, but had this quotation from a fertility doctor: This has led to an "absurd" case, says Prof Lewis, where women routinely have to undergo IVF - even if there is nothing wrong with their own fertility.
"The woman actually acts as the therapy for the man's problem [of poor sperm]," she says.
"We are giving an invasive procedure to a person who doesn't need it, in order to treat another person. That doesn't happen in any other branch of medicine."

I'm surprised - having had friends go through this - that the inequality of this never struck me. The focus in treatment ought to be on dealing with the person with the problem, rather than always expecting women to carry the burden of treatment.

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 10/09/2018 13:46

Blood donation? Bone marrow donation? Organ donation?

A person donating a kidney has a massive operation to treat another person.

MonotonousSeagull · 10/09/2018 13:46

That is interesting.

I have been through it. What struck me at the time was that there was very little investigation into the cause, next to none on the NHS in fact.

The ‘solution’ was IVF, without even knowing what the problem was. I thought that was odd (whilst at the same time just really wanting to get to the end goal.)

sirmione16 · 10/09/2018 13:45

If there's no solution to the males problem and treating the female will improve their chances of conception, surely it simply makes sense? People are being a little too precious imo

Gronky · 10/09/2018 13:45

If the problem is due to lifestyle and reversible then it's definitely unfair to place the onus on the would be mother but if it's down to genetics or cannot be treated in the male then it seems like an unfortunate reality of biology if the ultimate desire is to conceive a child with a particular father.

BestBeforeYesterday · 10/09/2018 13:44

But what if there is no cure for the male in question? Men with poor sperm quality are advised to take supplements and make lifestyle changes, but this doesn't always work. Unfortunately, men only play a tiny part in human reproduction, I don't see a way round that.

stepmummamumma · 10/09/2018 13:42

I had never considered this view either...really interesting.