Male infertility as a character motivation

[sunandshadow]

Recently I came across a video game where one of the main characters was revealed to have male infertility as a major motivation for his actions, and it made for a very interesting story. So, can anyone recommend a book, either non-fiction or fiction, where I can read about other male characters and their emotional reactions to finding out they have some kind of fertility problem?

 

[Hypoxia]

Searching tags for infertility yields a few hits.

I foresee some likely outcomes: anxiety, relief, or acceptance; cheating or cucking; attempted medical or magical remedies, with or without success. Where do any individuals go? Depends on their mental structure.

 

[sunandshadow]

Searching tags for infertility yields a few hits.

I foresee some likely outcomes: anxiety, relief, or acceptance; cheating or cucking; attempted medical or magical remedies, with or without success. Where do any individuals go? Depends on their mental structure.

I'm mainly looking for the desire for fatherhood; the way discovering it might be impossible could clarify it for a guy who maybe never really thought "I want to be a daddy when I grow up". But other reactions are good too. Magical remedies and consensual/happy cucking/wife-sharing are both things I normally enjoy reading about. Angsty psychodrama or inheritance historical/fantasy drama can also be interesting.

 

[RetroFan]

I've used infertility in a couple of my stories for black comedy as follows:

1. Spoiled Princess Hates Camping - the titular character, an 18-year-old girl Madison, is spoiled rotten partially because she was a miracle baby born to a wealthy couple told they had no chance of ever having children

2. Bridget the Bossy Bridezilla - Bridget's older sister Caroline is infertile and cannot conceive, and is depressed after her 12th attempt at IVF fails. Bridget's fiancé's loser younger brother Craig feels bad for Caroline and tries to cheer her up, saying that it's not the end of the world being barren or sterile, asking if she has prayed to God for a baby but warning that maybe God has decided that she is never meant to have children, and assuring her that her younger sister Bridget would probably be super-fertile and have lots of kids to make up for her.

3. The PTA Queen Bee & The Teen Rebel - Mike, an emotionally abusive husband/father treats his wife and seven kids terribly and has carried on an affair with his first cousin for years. What nobody knows is that Mike is also the father of his cousin's three kids as well - her husband is completely sterile, but as she had no problems falling pregnant, this was never picked up.

4. Jehovah's Witness Romance - Two of the main characters in this are sisters Holly and Samantha. Holly, who is the natural daughter of her Caucasian parents (who struggled to conceive) is an albino, and the adopted Samantha is African-American.

 

[weftandwarp]

Recently I came across a video game where one of the main characters was revealed to have male infertility as a major motivation for his actions, and it made for a very interesting story. So, can anyone recommend a book, either non-fiction or fiction, where I can read about other male characters and their emotional reactions to finding out they have some kind of fertility problem?

Infertility is a massive problem that should be dealt with sensitively and honestly. I would be doing research from either personal experience orlooking at psychology sites. It has been known to be responsible for suicide. It is becoming more common with declining sperm counts in Europe and else where. It has been attributed to many causes, among which is plastics, some of the chemicals used in the manufacture of plastic are very similar to oestrogen. In using it as a topic I would suggest great care be taken.

 

[Handley_Page]

Infertility is a massive problem that should be dealt with sensitively and honestly. I would be doing research from either personal experience orlooking at psychology sites. It has been known to be responsible for suicide. It is becoming more common with declining sperm counts in Europe and else where. It has been attributed to many causes, among which is plastics, some of the chemicals used in the manufacture of plastic are very similar to oestrogen. In using it as a topic I would suggest great care be taken.

I think you are quite right.
What's written should be accurate and sympathetic.

 

[Hypoxia]

I think you are quite right.
What's written should be accurate and sympathetic.

Or it can be tawdry, or serio-comic, or plain absurd. Not everything develops romantically. What might an infertile daddy-wannabe do?

* The guy tries many medical, pseudo-scientific, and magical interventions.
* The guy convinces his wife to let his brother or father insert similar DNA.
* The guy's OK to be cucked if he's fucking the bull's ass simultaneously.
* Turns out the guy's infertile because sly wife has been poisoning him.
* Turns out the guy's a were-critter and is fertile only with non-humans.
* For drama, the couple accepts the infertility and decides to adopt twins.
* The couple joins a polyamory group; all men share anonymous fatherhood.
* Guy figures infertility is as good as vasectomy; he goes free-fucking wild.

Follow the guy's emotional trajectories as he heads down life's path.

 

[NotWise]

I can envision the infertile male become bitter. He could be resigned, or he might decide to take his frustrations out on individuals or society as a whole.

He might elect to adopt. A man being infertile isn't much different from a couple unable to conceive.

He might decide that since he can't leave a genetic legacy, then he will leave an historic one. Thus ensue great feats.

I can't think of many infertile male characters in my reading. One that does stick out is "The Mule" in Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy. He merely dominated the known universe and threatened to supplant the Foundation.

 

[PuckIt]

Or it can be tawdry, or serio-comic, or plain absurd. Not everything develops romantically. What might an infertile daddy-wannabe do?

* The guy tries many medical, pseudo-scientific, and magical interventions.
* The guy convinces his wife to let his brother or father insert similar DNA.
* The guy's OK to be cucked if he's fucking the bull's ass simultaneously.
* Turns out the guy's infertile because sly wife has been poisoning him.
* Turns out the guy's a were-critter and is fertile only with non-humans.
* For drama, the couple accepts the infertility and decides to adopt twins.
* The couple joins a polyamory group; all men share anonymous fatherhood.
* Guy figures infertility is as good as vasectomy; he goes free-fucking wild.

Follow the guy's emotional trajectories as he heads down life's path.

Seriously? No, really. Are you serious? You of all people didn't throw in cloning and developing a narcissistic sexual fascination with the clone? You're slipping.

 

[sr71plt]

In erotica I see a separate story pathway for male infertility than I've seen discussed here. I see it used as an avenue to casual promiscuity.

 

[Hypoxia]

Seriously? No, really. Are you serious? You of all people didn't throw in cloning and developing a narcissistic sexual fascination with the clone? You're slipping.

I'd conceptually included cloning in: The guy tries many medical, pseudo-scientific, and magical interventions. But I forgot tentacles and giant mantids. So sue me.

 

[Athalia]

I dan't speak for male infertility, but I've occasionally used female infertility in some of my stories, and usually in a positive way. Every women becomes infertile with menopause, and for many, it's a great relief, because they no longer have to worry about becoming pregnant.

I've read stories where males take their infertility in stride. These are the guys who want to have sex but don't want to make somebody else pregnant.

And I've written a story (not on this site) where a man becomes infertile due to an accident in which he loses his testicles, and the story is partially about how two women help him revive his sexuality and persuade him that he can still satisfy women even if he can't impregnate them.