Promoting Mensfe - The Men's Fertility Website (Spring 2010)

PROMOTING MENSFE - THE MEN’S FERTILITY WEBSITE
International support and information for infertile males and their partners

by Pip Reilly

Have you ever wondered which way to turn or feel in need of a helping hand? Mensfe is primarily for men by men who find communication difficult and do not have easy access to support. Simply, it is “your open forum” website, there to provide support and a wealth of fertility related information.

We are all aware that infertility affects men and women in approximately equal proportions. It is generally accepted that the causes of infertility worldwide are about 36% male factor, 34% female factor, and 30% combined male-female unexplained factors.

However, while women have historically been the focus of infertility treatment due to medical necessity, we are fully aware that the male plays a significant role in a couple’s efforts to achieve a pregnancy, and is equally affected by the lack of the quality of family life both partners are seeking. Men in this situation are rarely given a voice, or cannot express their helplessness, despair and concern for their own issues and those of their partners.
Mensfe is trying to fill what we believe is an important gap in counselling support and information provision. For obvious reasons, the support we offer is very male focused, “for men by men,” but we expect that professionals, wives, and partners will also gain insight when they access our forums and discussion groups. One of our groups deals with gender communication issues, and female involvement is particularly encouraged. Our ultimate aim is to see blighted relationships brightened and future hope restored.

Like many other fertility sites, the Mensfe website has been developed to impart a wealth of fertility related information. The Mensfe site, however, goes even further, providing specialist support from eminent clinicians and professionals in male infertility treatment and related psychological issues. Their aim is to devote time to improving the quality and delivery of male support and infertility care by offering more extensive information about and explanation of gender-specific issues. These include additional coping strategies, detailed self-help advice, and a wide range of professional services and other sources of help.

Most importantly, the site places real stories, detailed accounts in your own words, describing low moods, feelings of despair, and crucially, the strategies you have discovered for overcoming them. Since its inception, this Mensfe service has helped hundreds of thousands of individuals.

The site is search engine-optimized with suitable key words so that it can easily be found by anyone searching the web for information on male fertility. However, the site intentionally has a particularly male “feel” and sensibility, unlike most fertility-related websites, which tend to be generic (as in the case of health sites) or geared towards women. We hope that by giving this first impression, we may encourage men to use the site and also to register in order to gain entry to the password protected areas of the site.

It is in the secure areas of the site where we particularly hope to engage visitors by encouraging participation in small group forums. These groups tend to consist of men with similar issues and questions, which they are encouraged to share, and these group forums operate in much the same way as formal group therapy. A professional moderator of each group reviews progress regularly and helps to keep the group focused and directed.

The theoretical and philosophical foundation for the site is based on the principles of gender-specific infertility communication and of social constructionist narrative therapy. In plain terms, the philosophy is that the way you see and talk about something has a profound effect on what you experience and how you cope. Care has been taken to try to present fertility issues in a way that empowers those affected with options and strategies to minimize the negative effects on their lives.

Mensfe is an interactive patient website that is accessible internationally, overseen and supported by professionals. We are linked to other international groups offering specialist support for men and encompass many diverse cultures.

“This is your web site, by you for you. Make that difference. Tell your story and help others.”

Feedback about the site is welcome, as the intention is to update and expand it on a regular basis. If you wish to contribute, please email us through the link provided on the website, at www.mensfe.net

References
Covington, S. Hammond, L. (2006). The Psychology of Gender-Specific Infertility Diagnoses. Infertility Counselling. Cambridge University Press.
European Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy. Communication and Social Construct Narrative Therapy. Vol.3. no 3. pp. 407-408 (12). Routledge.

About the author
One of the founders of Mensfe, Pip Reilly, is a professional fertility counsellor with a Master’s degree in Male Infertility. He has been involved with fertility charities and various organisations for more than 15 years.