Exposing Men : The Science and Politics of Male Reproduction

Exposing Men examines how ideals of masculinity have long skewed our societal--and scientific--understanding of one of the pillars of male identity: reproductive health. Only with the recent public exposure of men's reproductive troubles has the health of the male body been thrown into question, and along with it deeper masculine ideals. Whereas once men's sexual and reproductive abilities were the most taboo of topics, today erectile dysfunction is a multi-billion dollar business, and magazine articles trumpet male reproductive decline with headlines such as "You're Half the Man Your Father Was." Cynthia R. Daniels casts a gimlet eye on our world of plummeting sperm counts, spiking reproductive cancers, sperm banks, and pharmacological cures for impotence in order to assess the true state of male health. What she finds is male reproductive systems damaged by toxins and war, and proof piling up that men through sperm, pass on harm to the children they father. Yet, despite the evidence that men's health, as much as women's, significantly affects the vitality of their offspring, Daniels also sees a society holding on to outdated assumptions, one in which men ignore blatant health risks as they struggle to live up to antiquated ideas of manliness. "Exposing Men examines how ideals of masculinity have long skewed our societal - and scientific - understanding of one of the pillars of male identity: reproductive health. Only with the recent public exposure of men's reprodutive troubles has the health of the male body been thrown into question, and along with it deeper masculine ideals. Cynthia R. Daniels casts a gimlet eye on our world of plummeting sperm counts, spiking male reprodutive cancers, declining birth rates of boys, and the growth of industries to "correct" male infertility, in order to assess the true state of male health." "Explaining how our perception of men and women's reproductive functions has informed society's broader assumptions about gender roles, Exposing Men is for anyone interested in confronting and addressing the ever-changing landscape of sexual inequalities."--Jacket Examining How Ideals Of Masculinity Have Long Skewed Our Societal - And Scientific - Understanding Of Reproductive Health In Males, This Book Also Looks At The World Of Falling Sperm Counts, Spiking Reproductive Cancers, And Pharmacological Cures For Impotence In Order To Assess The State Of Male Health. Powers Of Conception -- Dropping Sperm Counts : The Science And Politics Of Male Reproductive Health -- Commodifying Men : The Science And Politics Of Male Infertility And Sperm Banking -- The Children Men Father : The Science And Politics Of Male-mediated Fetal Harm -- Reproducing Men. Cynthia R. Daniels. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 219-243) And Index. Oxford University Press, USA 019514841X 1 Contents 12 1 Introduction 16 2 Powers of Conception 24 3 Dropping Sperm Counts: The Science and Politics of Male Reproductive Health 44 4 Commodifying Men: The Science and Politics of Male Infertility and Sperm Banking 86 5 The Children Men Father: The Science and Politics of Male-Mediated Fetal Harm 122 6 Reproducing Men 170 Notes 184 Bibliography 232 Index 258 A 258 B 259 C 260 D 261 E 262 F 263 G 263 H 264 I 264 J 265 K 265 L 265 M 265 N 267 O 268 P 268 Q 269 R 269 S 269 T 271 U 272 V 272 W 273 X 273 Z 273 ISBN-13:,9780195148411,ISBN-13:,9780195382549 ISBN-13: 9780195148411,ISBN-13: 9780195382549 Examines how ideals of masculinity have long skewed our societal - and scientific - understanding of one of the pillars of male identity: reproductive health. This book also looks at the world of plummeting sperm counts, spiking reproductive cancers, sperm banks, and pharmacological cures for impotence in order to assess the state of male health