Motivating factors and quality of life for male partners of infertile couples

Motivating factors for pursuing fertility treatment may be difficult to ascertain, as there may be fear of a “wrong” answer. Given that infertility is a couples’ condition, it is important to understand the male’s perspective. We sought to assess the male motivations and quality of life (QoL) during fertility treatment. Cross-sectional survey study. 2 anonymous paper surveys were given to 70 male partners after providing a semen sample for assisted reproductive technology at a fertility clinic. Men were alone during this time. 1st, a questionnaire assessed demographics, motivating factors, and fertility history. 2nd, the fertility quality of life (FertiQoL) survey assessed the impact of infertility in diverse life areas. The FertiQoL contained 2 QoL domains: Core (with Mind-Body, Emotional, Relational, and Social subdomains) and Treatment (with Tolerability and Environment subdomains). Responses were scaled 0-100. A higher score indicated higher QoL. Eligible respondents included men receiving treatment as part of an infertile couple. Responses were analyzed via descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis, and multivariable regression analysis. Out of 70 anonymous surveys, 61 (87.1%) and 52 (74.3%) completed the 1st and 2ndsurveys entirely. 62 (88.6%) men were married, 51 (75.0%) did not have prior children, and 19 (27.9%) reported prior in vitro fertilization (IVF). 23 (33.8%) men had been trying to conceive for <12 months, 20 (29.4%) for 12-24 months, and 25 (36.8%) for >24 months. When asked, “Why are you pursuing a fertility evaluation?” 89.6% (60/67) said it was “because both my partner and I want a child.” When asked, “Do you want children?” 91.0% (61/67) said “yes,” but 9.0% (6/67) said “no.” Of these men, 4/5 were planning to undergo IVF. In contrast, 66.7% (40/60) of men who did desire children were planning to undergo IVF. Duration of infertility, age, income, and marital status were not related to male desire for a child (p>0.05). Not having a prior child was related to male desire for wanting children (p=0.003). Mean FertiQoL scores were: Overall 78.9 +/- 9.9, Core 79.0 +/- 9.6, and Treatment 78.5 +/- 14.4. Men who did not want children scored lower in the Core interpersonal subgroups (Relational and Social) than those who did want children, but this was not significant (p>0.05). 9% of males self-reported that they did not want a future child, yet 4/5 were planning to undergo IVF. Not having a prior child was related to desire for future children. Understanding these motivations provides an opportunity to better care for male partners.