Psychological aspects of male reproductive medicine

Infertility affects 15% of couples and of these, about 30% will have some significant male factor. Male infertility is diagnosed after two abnormal semen analyses and usually requires fertility treatment to achieve pregnancy. Most research involving psychological impacts of infertility have concentrated on women, however, there have been a small number of studies looking at the impact of infertility in men. Depression, diminished sexual satisfaction and sexual performance are more common in infertile men. Research also shows that infertile men experience grief and loss in multiple aspects of their lives. It has been demonstrated that psychological consultation is beneficial for and desired by both members in an infertile couple.