MSc Health and International Development student, Abhijit Dhillon examines the overlooked crisis of men’s sexual and reproductive health, exposing how stigma, toxic masculinity, and policy blind spots fuel broader public health risks. Arguing for a paradigm shift, Dhillon challenges toxic masculinity and calls for inclusive SRHR advocacy that leaves no one behind.
Where Are the Men in SRHR?
When we talk about sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), we are mostly talking about women. Conversations revolve around contraception, maternal health, abortion rights, and gender-based violence. And while these are very critical issues, there is one glaring gap: men’s SRHR. However, ignoring men’s SRHR has serious implications for everyone.
For decades, the global SRHR movement has framed men as “partners” in women’s reproductive health—encouraging them to support contraception use, maternal care, and family planning. That is important, but risks minimising the SHRR needs of men, which in turn has serious overall health implications. Why do we rarely talk about male infertility, STIs, erectile dysfunction, and the overall lack of male SRHR healthcare?
This neglect is not just an oversight— it is a systemic issue. And right now, when anti-rights movements are actively attacking SRHR, we cannot afford to leave any gaps in our advocacy. Because when we don’t talk about men’s SRHR, we leave space for regressive forces to twist the conversation and reinforce harmful gender norms.
The SRHR Blind Spot: Why Men’s Health Matters
Let’s dig into this and why there is a lack of attention to men’s SRHR, and why that needs to change. Several factors play into this.
The ‘Real Men Don’t Need Help’ Myth
Ever heard a guy say, “I don’t need to see a doctor, I’m fine”—even when he’s clearly not fine? That is “masculinity” talking. Men are often conditioned to believe that seeking help—especially for sexual health—is a sign of weakness. This means many suffer in silence when dealing with infertility, STIs, performance anxiety, or other sexual health concerns.
The ‘Gupt Rog’ Problem
In India, for instance, men’s sexual health issues are often lumped into the category of gupt–rog (secret diseases), making it something to be whispered about or, worse, not addressed at all. Instead of seeking professional medical care, many men turn to unregulated traditional healers or self-proclaimed ‘sex doctors’ who offer dubious treatments—often doing more harm than good.
Infertility is Not Just a “Women’s Problem”
Here is a stat you probably won’t come across in most conversations: male infertility accounts for nearly 50% of all infertility cases. Yet, in many cultures, infertility is automatically blamed on women. Men often refuse to get tested, and even when they do, the stigma is so high that seeking treatment feels impossible.
Masculinity and Risky Sexual Behaviours
Research shows that men who strongly conform to traditional “masculine” norms are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviours—like not using condoms or having multiple partners. At the same time, they are less likely to seek SRH services. Why is that? Because masculinity teaches them that “real men” should be dominant, sexually virile, and invulnerable. This, unsurprisingly, increases STI rates and creates a ripple effect in public health.
The Healthcare System Isn’t Built for Men’s SRHR
Most reproductive health services are designed for women. For example, family planning clinics are focused on contraception for women and sexual health programs often assume men are there only as partners or “supporters” of women’s reproductive health. This leads to neglect men who need medical attention themselves.
Anti-Rights Movements and the Weaponization of Masculinity
The anti-rights movement—whether it’s attacks on reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ rights, or bodily autonomy—thrives on weaponizing traditional masculinity. This is especially apparent in the way right-wing groups frame SRHR. They often position it as a “feminist” or “leftist” agenda that threatens traditional gender roles. They push the idea that men need to be “strong” protectors of the family, which means rejecting anything that suggests vulnerability—including sexual and reproductive healthcare.
This narrative does reinforce harmful gender norms—pressuring men to suppress their health needs and discouraging them from seeking care. It also erases the real SRHR needs of men—leaving them vulnerable to untreated health conditions while also keeping them disengaged from conversations about gender equality. Thus, by ignoring men’s SRHR, we hand over power to anti-rights groups, allowing them to use masculinity as a weapon against progress. We need to reclaim that narrative.
Beyond ‘Men as Partners’: A Paradigm Shift in SRHR
The global health community has spent decades pushing the “men as partners” approach—getting men to support women’s SRHR. But we need to go further. We need to complement this with a “men as clients” approach, where men’s own SRHR needs are recognized and addressed. This is not just about fairness—it is about public health. It would firstly require smashing the stigma about SRHR through public health campaigns that normalize men seeking care for sexual and reproductive health. Sex education that includes boys and teaches them about their bodies, consent, and their right to SRHR healthcare, is crucial in this regard. Secondly, this would necessitate the establishment of more SRHR services tailored to male SRHR needs. In this regard, important policy changes would be necessary to ensure that SRHR services include infertility treatment, STI prevention, mental health support and any other context-specific SRH services for men.
The Road Ahead: Taking Action Now
For anyone looking for a roadmap of action, I would propose to:
- Challenge toxic masculinity—because as long as “real men don’t need help”, we won’t see real change.
- Start talking about men’s SRHR—in policy, in advocacy, in everyday conversations.
- Push for inclusive healthcare—demand that SRHR services cater to men’s needs.
- Call out the anti-rights agenda—don’t let them use masculinity as a tool to roll back SRHR progress.
- SRHR is for everyone. It’s time we act like it.
The views expressed in this post are those of the author and in no way reflect those of the International Development LSE blog or the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Featured image credit: MD Duran via Unsplash. Free to use under the Unsplash License.
