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The impact of infertility on men's work and finances: Findings from a qualitative questionnaire study

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  • Esmée Hanna
  • Brendan Gough

Abstract

The impact of infertility on the emotional, social and relational aspects of men's lives is now more widely understood. Yet the impact of infertility on men's working lives and financial status remains largely overlooked. Drawing on a qualitative questionnaire study into men's experiences of infertility (n = 41), this article examines how work and finances are managed and negotiated during infertility, including treatment cycles. Three key themes were identified from our thematic analysis: managing infertility in the workplace; compromised job performance, (in)security and progression; the financial burden of infertility, suggesting that infertility can have significant implications for men's working lives, including their identities as productive workers. The impact had a gendered dimension, with threats to masculine‐relevant breadwinner roles and career ambitions. Awareness and management of infertility as a chronic health condition could be a useful way for employers to support disclosure of infertility and to allow men to navigate infertility and their working lives and identities in less stress‐inducing ways. This article contributes to our growing understanding of the stigma men experience in relation to infertility and how such stigma may intersect with masculinity in general and breadwinning in particular.

Suggested Citation

  • Esmée Hanna & Brendan Gough, 2020. "The impact of infertility on men's work and finances: Findings from a qualitative questionnaire study," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(4), pages 581-591, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:gender:v:27:y:2020:i:4:p:581-591
    DOI: 10.1111/gwao.12414
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gannon, Kenneth & Glover, Lesley & Abel, Paul, 2004. "Masculinity, infertility, stigma and media reports," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 59(6), pages 1169-1175, September.
    2. Ashlee Borgkvist & Vivienne Moore & Jaklin Eliott & Shona Crabb, 2018. "‘I might be a bit of a front runner’: An analysis of men's uptake of flexible work arrangements and masculine identity," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(6), pages 703-717, November.
    3. Esmée Hanna & Brendan Gough, 2015. "Experiencing Male Infertility," SAGE Open, , vol. 5(4), pages 21582440156, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Krystal Wilkinson & Julia Rouse, 2023. "Solo‐living and childless professional women: Navigating the ‘balanced mother ideal’ over the fertile years," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 68-85, January.
    2. Devi Vijay & Vivek G. Nair, 2022. "In the Name of Merit: Ethical Violence and Inequality at a Business School," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 179(2), pages 315-337, August.

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