Barrenness woes: Men can be infertile too

Last week gospel artist Kambua Manundu shared news of her
being expectant in an Instagram post dated May 17, 2019. She received congratulatory
comments from people of all walks of life including fellow musicians.

Her breakthrough led to more celebrities opening up about
childlessness. Mungu mkuu hit maker Evelyn
Wanjiru stated that she got married the same time as Kambua and was hoping that
God would bless her with a child the same way he did for Kambua.

Shiro wa GP, on the other hand, revealed the ridicule she faced
from women because of lacking a child nine years in marriage. She narrated how
a family took their daughter to hospital for checkup just because she held the
child. Eventually, she was blessed with twins a girl and boy, but unfortunately
the male newborn passed away. Today, her daughter is five years old strong and pushing
on.

Kambua has been a victim of cyberbuling over the inability to
have kids after years (over six years) in marriage. Unfortunate as it is, some virtual
followers can be ruthless, posting disheartening comments such as her
barrenness being due to several abortions.

It is high time people accepted that infertility affects
both men and women. The notion of assuming that a woman is childless because she
is infertile is incorrect. Men can also be barren. A woman can be fertile but
her man is not.

According to medicalnewstoday.com, some of the causes of infertility
in females include blocked fallopian tubes, ovulation disorders, and uterus problems.
As for the male counterparts, they may be unable to impregnate a woman due to
premature ejaculation, low sperm count, and low sperm mobility.

Therefore, it is wrong to assume that a female is childless because
she is infertile. It is possible that her man has a problem and not her. The prudent
thing to do is to get checked at a fertility facility to find ways to solve barrenness.

As a society, we have a long way to go. The patriarchal way
of thinking is subjective and unless it changes, women will always be blamed
for ‘failing’ to bear children.