Breaking the Silence: Faith Communities, Infertility Stigma and Masculine Identity Among African Men

Although infertility is a serious reproductive health issue that affects both individuals and couples, prior studies have mostly examined the experiences of women, frequently ignoring the psychological and spiritual difficulties that men face. In many African contexts, fatherhood is tightly linked to masculine identity and community belonging, making infertile men susceptible to social marginalisation and humiliation. Men may be further deterred from talking about infertility or seeking help by cultural norms. Through an interdisciplinary analysis of the literature on African masculinities, reproductive health, theology, and stigma theory, this paper investigates the relationship between African men’s religious communities, masculine identity, and infertility stigma. The essay explores how cultural and religious narratives influence men’s experiences with infertility and makes the case that religious communities can offer chances for pastoral care, emotional support, and more inclusive conceptions of masculinity in addition to reinforcing pronatalist expectations that fuel the stigma associated with infertility.