[Fran]

Join us for our next power hour during National Fertility Awareness Week to talk all about Male Fertility and workplace support. I will be on hand on Tuesday 4th November at 11am to answer all of your questions on male fertility, supporting employees and colleagues and providing tips on how to promote awareness around male fertility in the workplace.

Its easy to be part of the power hour, all you need to do is watch and follow this thread, and then post questions in this power hour thread. I will then do my best to answer them and provide advice and support.

I look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday!

Take care,

Fran

[Fran]

Not long to go until our Power Hour today – talking all things male fertility and workplace support. Please have your questions ready to add to this thread when we go live at 11am!

Speak soon!
Fran

[Fran]

Hi everyone, this power hour is now live!
Welcome to our second event for National Fertility Awareness Week!
This is your chance to ask questions all about male fertility and how you can support your colleagues, employees and their families. Feel free to ask any questions about fertility and reproductive health too 🙂

[Tasha]

Are fertility issues in men becoming more common, or are they simply being discussed more openly now?

[Fran]

yes definitely – male factor issues currently contribute to around 50% of fertility problems/issues. Globally we know that fertility in men is declining too – which means that male factor fertility is becoming more common

[Fran]

We have our first question that has been submitted:
How common are male fertility issues?

[Fran]

Great question!
Okay so male factor fertility actually contributes to around half of all fertility issues/diagnosis. So what we mean by that, is that for all patients undergoing fertility treatment or fertility testing where a fertility problem is diagnosed – around 50% of those cases will be male factor.

[Tina Powell]

What would you say the barriers are that stop men from discussing fertility challenges at work?

[Fran]

For men it has a lot to do with masculinity and stigma unfortunately. Research shows that men are less likely to talk about issues they are facing and especially in the workplace. Developing a safe space to talk or male focussed support groups at work can put men at ease and help them to talk more openly.

[Adrianna Kania]

What can we do as an organisation to support men and help them open up about their fertility? Would it best to get a professional in?

[Fran]

You could ask a professional to come along but you could also provide your employees with access to evidence based information and resources like we provide at the IVFN. You could also ask your employees what would help them – they may want a support network or the opportunity for flexible working. Its very individual so creating a focus group and asking the questions is beneficial – but also providing safe and credible information from professionals will be hugely beneficial.

[Claire Fennelow]

How much does age actually affect men compared to women in regards to fertility?

[Fran]

For a long time – it was thought that age did not matter when it came to male fertility. Research now shows that it does and can have an affect on chances of achieving a pregnancy and a pregnancy. Fertility does decline for men in their 40’s and they are more susceptible to chromosomal damage to sperm which can affect embryo creation, cause miscarriage and potential genetic problems in children. So age is important for both males and females when trying to conceive

[Tasha]

How can HR balance privacy with the need to offer support in sensitive situations like fertility issues?

[Fran]

HR teams need to be able to offer a safe and confidential space for people to talk about their fertility issues. Fertility is still very much a taboo subject and people often feel that it may affect their career progression and opportunities if they are open about fertility treatment. HR teams can help by providing resources, providing support frameworks and networks and also by having an open door policy so that people know they can speak about their personal issues without feeling stigma.

[Ben]

How can employee resource groups or wellbeing networks contribute to normalizing these conversations?

[Adrianna Kania]

I’ve seen a lot of talk on social media that men who are trying for a family should take at least 6 months to get fit, eat better, stop drinking to have the best chance at conceiving. Is that true?

[Fran]

its important to be as healthy as possible when trying to conceive. The cycle of sperm is around 90 days – so 3 months. This means that every 3 months for men, sperms cells start to regenerate and being unwell or stressed could potentially have an impact on sperm production. So ensuring that you are always maintaining a healthy lifestyle is really important when trying for a baby.

[Ben]

Thanks Fran.

DO you also have any recommendations on what policies or benefits companies could introduce to better support men undergoing fertility treatments?

[Fran]

Thanks Ben – this is a really important question.

We would suggest having a fertility policy that is inclusive and covers things like flexible working, wellbeing support and signposting. I would also recommend utilising external resources such as the IVFN and provide platform access to employees so they can utilise the support available. I think the key thing is to make sure that support and resources are not a ‘one size fits all’ and understand that different groups have different needs

[Fran]

Another question submitted:
I am not sure what to say without causing offence or saying the wrong thing. A colleague is having IVF at the moment and i would like to offer support.

Good question – the best thing here is to maybe check in and just ask how they are feeling. You may find that that will open up the conversation for them. Don’t be scared to offer support.

[Tanvi Shah]

Just wondering how might our current workplace culture unintentionally discourage men from sharing their fertility struggles?

[Fran]

Good point. Its an historic thing – people tend to believe that men don’t want to talk about personal issues or feelings – and that may be why some workplaces have different support in place for men than they do women. Societal views are changing though and more and more men are speaking up so its important to ensure that policies are inclusive and workplaces provide the safe spaces for men.

[Tasha]

As managers, how can we ensure we’re not making assumptions about employees’ family or fertility situations?

[Fran]

Great question. We should never make assumptions but it can be very difficult to get the balance right. Workplaces need to ensure that they have policies in place that support all family building and all employees. You don’t have to ask every employee outright, if they have children or are going to have children but what you can do is have visible policies and processes in place to support people. This includes employees who have chosen not to have children or we are childless not by choice. Signposting to information and policies and ensuring that the relevant resources are in place and accessible should ensure that your teams can find the relevant information for them.

[Fran]

Thank you everyone for joining us for todays power hour! Thank you for all of the questions and keep a look out for our next power hours and events.

Take care!
Fran

[Fran]

Providing support networks and safe spaces can help people to feel heard . Having the opportunity to speak with peers about issues and knowing that other people may also be going through similar experiences can contribute to people feeling more supported at work.

[Author]

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