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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2025
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.10003 |
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| _version_ | 1866915735078436864 |
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| author | Ammari, Tawfiq Khondoker, Zarah Wang, Yihan Roda, Nikki |
| author_facet | Ammari, Tawfiq Khondoker, Zarah Wang, Yihan Roda, Nikki |
| contents | Men experiencing infertility face unique challenges navigating Traditional Masculinity Ideologies that discourage emotional expression and help-seeking. This study examines how Reddit's r/maleinfertility community helps overcome these barriers through digital support networks. Using topic modeling (115 topics), network analysis (11 micro-communities), and time-lagged regression on 11,095 posts and 79,503 comments from 8,644 users, we found the community functions as a hybrid space: informal diagnostic hub, therapeutic commons, and governed institution. Medical advice dominates discourse (63.3\%), while emotional support (7.4\%) and moderation (29.2\%) create essential infrastructure. Sustained engagement correlates with actionable guidance and affiliation language, not emotional processing. Network analysis revealed structurally cohesive but topically diverse clusters without echo chamber characteristics. Cross-posters (20\% of users) who bridge r/maleinfertility and the gender-mixed r/infertility community serve as navigators and mentors, transferring knowledge between spaces. These findings inform trauma-informed design for stigmatized health communities, highlighting role-aware systems and navigation support. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2509_10003 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Beyond the Silence: How Men Navigate Infertility Through Digital Communities and Data Sharing Ammari, Tawfiq Khondoker, Zarah Wang, Yihan Roda, Nikki Human-Computer Interaction Men experiencing infertility face unique challenges navigating Traditional Masculinity Ideologies that discourage emotional expression and help-seeking. This study examines how Reddit's r/maleinfertility community helps overcome these barriers through digital support networks. Using topic modeling (115 topics), network analysis (11 micro-communities), and time-lagged regression on 11,095 posts and 79,503 comments from 8,644 users, we found the community functions as a hybrid space: informal diagnostic hub, therapeutic commons, and governed institution. Medical advice dominates discourse (63.3\%), while emotional support (7.4\%) and moderation (29.2\%) create essential infrastructure. Sustained engagement correlates with actionable guidance and affiliation language, not emotional processing. Network analysis revealed structurally cohesive but topically diverse clusters without echo chamber characteristics. Cross-posters (20\% of users) who bridge r/maleinfertility and the gender-mixed r/infertility community serve as navigators and mentors, transferring knowledge between spaces. These findings inform trauma-informed design for stigmatized health communities, highlighting role-aware systems and navigation support. |
| title | Beyond the Silence: How Men Navigate Infertility Through Digital Communities and Data Sharing |
| topic | Human-Computer Interaction |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.10003 |