Men's expectations and experiences of fertility awareness assessment and counseling

INTRODUCTION: Men play an important role in couples' decisions about the timing of parenthood and they tend to delay parenthood. The reasons for delaying childbearing are multifaceted and complex. Their decisions may be based on a lack of accurate information about the reproductive life span and the consequences of delaying parenthood. The aim of this study was to explore men's expectations and experiences of fertility counseling. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data were collected through semi-structured qualitative interviews with 21 men attending either the Fertility Assessment and Counseling Clinic in Copenhagen or in Horsens, Denmark. The men had no known fertility problems before going to the fertility counseling. They were interviewed before and after fertility counseling. RESULTS: The men were not concerned about their fertility before going to counseling. They believed they would be able to conceive whenever they wanted. Three of them had low semen quality and felt "punched in the gut" when they received these results at the fertility counseling. The study participants preferred clear and concrete information, and relevant knowledge at the right time was very important. The men felt empowered after the fertility counseling because they were equipped with concrete information that could inform their parenthood plans and decisions. Even the men who received unexpected bad news felt positive about the counseling. The participants perceived their knowledge and awareness of risk factors concerning fertility had increased. CONCLUSIONS: Men may benefit from an individualized approach where their fertility is assessed and they receive tailored fertility counseling specific to their personal fertility results. This type of intervention may be effective in increasing men's fertility awareness because it is personally relevant.