Why Are Men Missing From the Reproductive Health Conversation?

Why are men missing from the reproductive health conversation? And what happens when we treat reproductive health as women's business alone?

In the first of our two-part deep dive into Black maternal and reproductive health, Aiwan and Tamanda challenge some of the assumptions shaping how we talk about our bodies, fertility, pregnancy, childbirth and care. When we talk about reproductive health, the conversation almost always centres women - and often begins and ends with pregnancy and childbirth.

But where does that leave men? Not just as fathers, partners and advocates, but as people with their own reproductive health needs, experiences, fears and vulnerabilities?

And what does this narrow framing mean for women, whose reproductive lives extend far beyond pregnancy and motherhood? Drawing on deeply personal experiences, research and the Disney+ documentary Aftershock , we explore the silence, shame, medical inequalities and intergenerational experiences that shape reproductive health across our lives.

From endometriosis, fibroids and fertility struggles to men's sexual and reproductive health, pregnancy loss, birth trauma and the responsibilities we share, this conversation asks what we miss when reproductive health is treated as somebody else's business. 🎙️ In this episode: What About Men? Why men are so often missing from reproductive health conversations - and why their role extends far beyond supporting women through pregnancy and childbirth.

Men's Bodies, Men's Health: Breaking the silence around male fertility, erectile dysfunction, prostate health, medical examinations and the stigma that prevents men from discussing their reproductive experiences. Fathers, Partners & Shared Responsibility: Exploring the emotional experiences of men and partners navigating pregnancy, childbirth, loss and medical care - and why reproductive health should never be an individual burden.

The 28-Year Diagnosis: Tamanda reflects on her experiences of endometriosis, fibroids and fertility investigations, challenging the tendency to reduce women's reproductive health to pregnancy and motherhood. The Silence We Inherit: From periods and puberty to fertility, sexual health and family trauma, we examine how shame, secrecy and intergenerational experiences shape our relationships with our bodies.

Lived and Family Memories: From carrying a full-term pregnancy loss across borders to the enduring trauma of witnessing birth complications and clinical apathy firsthand. Beyond the Mortality Statistics: Drawing on Aftershock , campaigns like Five X More , and the Black maternal health crisis, we explore why reproductive health conversations so often begin and end with death, rather than the much wider need for accountability across disparities in health.

Reproductive health isn't just women's business. It's everybody's business. 🔜 COMING NEXT - PART 2: We turn our attention specifically to Black maternal health in Britain, exploring racial inequalities in NHS maternity care, the experiences of Black mothers, and what our own community-led research reveals about medical bias, women's choices and the urgent need for systemic change.

Share your reflections in the comments or send us a voice note. We'd love to hear from you. 🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts. 🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: 🔁 Share with someone who believes reproductive health is everybody's business ☕ Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/rigourandflow Content note: This episode discusses maternal death, stillbirth, pregnancy loss, medical trauma and reproductive healthcare experiences.

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