Looking for fertility books for men? We’ve got you covered.
Whether you want practical advice on boosting sperm health, support during fertility treatment or simply a story you can relate to, books can be incredibly helpful on your road to fatherhood.
We’ve rounded up our favourite fertility reads — plus a few extra picks that help you navigate donor conception, kids’ questions, and the bigger picture around sperm health.
How to choose the right fertility book
Not sure where to start? Pick a book based on what you need right now.
Want to improve sperm health? Choose practical guidance on food, supplements, sleep, stress and heat.
Going through IVF? Read something that explains each stage clearly and supports you as a partner.
Considering donor conception or surrogacy? Look for real experiences plus advice on decisions, cost and emotions.
Need emotional support? Pick a memoir. It helps you name the hard bits and feel less alone.
Talking to kids? Add an inclusive children’s book. It makes conversations simpler and kinder.
Books for men
Fueling Male Fertility: Nutrition and lifestyle guidance for men trying to conceive
By Lauren Manaker MS, RD
Don’t be fooled by the size. This compact guide packs in evidence-based advice on sperm health: count, motility and morphology.
Lauren Manaker focuses on nutrition, supplements, and everyday habits that affect sperm. She covers sleep, stress and heat too. Read it if you want clear actions you can start today.
Ripping Up the Script: One couple’s journey through infertility, a man’s perspective
By Charlie Druce
Men still have too few infertility books written for them. Charlie Druce fills that gap with honesty and humour.
He shares IVF attempts, miscarriage and the path to adoption. He also covers grief, pressure and relationship strain, without losing his wit.
Get A Life: His & Hers Survival Guide to IVF
By Richard Mackeny and Rosie Bray
IVF takes a physical toll on women. It also hits male partners hard. You try to stay supportive while handling your own fears and hopes.
Richard and Rosie share a down-to-earth account of IVF, with tips and relatable moments. The book helps you understand what’s ahead and feel more supported as a couple.
The Man’s Guide to Infertility: How to safeguard yourself and your partner through trying to conceive, IVF and miscarriage
By Jon and Laura Summers
Infertility can make a lot of men feel like they’re meant to be “the strong one” — while quietly falling apart. This book is a straight-talking companion for the male side of trying to conceive, IVF, and pregnancy loss.
It’s practical without being cold, and supportive without being cheesy — helping you cope, communicate better, and show up for your partner while still looking after yourself.
Best for: men who want support that’s actually written with them in mind.
How to Make Love to a Plastic Cup: A Guy’s Guide to the World of Infertility
By Greg Wolfe
Fertility treatment can be surreal — and this book leans into that with humour and a brutally honest “guy’s-eye view” of appointments, testing, awkward moments and everything in between.
It’s a lighter read than most, but still grounded in the reality of how stressful infertility can be — perfect if you cope best when someone makes you laugh and tells it like it is.
Best for: men who want humour, honesty, and a relatable perspective.
FINALLY! . . . An Infertility Book for Dudes: Navigating Infertility From the Male Perspective
By Ryan Smith
This one exists for the exact reason you mention in your article: most fertility resources aren’t written for men. Ryan Smith speaks directly to the male experience — confusion, pressure, feeling sidelined, and not always knowing what to say.
It’s approachable, easy to dip in and out of, and gives you language to understand what’s happening (and how to be supportive) without pretending you’re unaffected.
Best for: men who feel under-informed or invisible in the fertility process.
Swimming Aimlessly: One Man’s Journey Through Infertility (and What We Can All Learn from It)
By Jon Waldman
If you want a book that feels like someone sitting next to you saying “yeah… this is hard,” this is it. Waldman’s story captures the emotional whiplash of infertility — hope, frustration, envy, guilt — without losing warmth or humour.
It’s part memoir, part survival guide, and it’s particularly good at describing the feelings men often struggle to name (or admit to having at all).
Best for: emotional support and feeling less alone as a male partner.
Mommy Man: How I Went from Mild-Mannered Geek to Gay Superdad
By Jerry Mahoney
You might not expect to laugh your way through a surrogacy story — but Jerry Mahoney is a comedy writer, and it shows.
He shares the money stress, the awkward questions and the endless focus on sperm quality. The payoff is huge, and the joy lands just as strongly as the jokes.
The IVF Playbook for Men: The IVF Book I Wished Had Existed When We Started
By Corey Parchman
IVF can feel like it has its own language — plus a thousand decisions you’re expected to make while you’re running on stress. This book is built as a “playbook”: clear, practical, and aimed squarely at the male partner’s role and mindset.
It’s especially helpful for navigating the emotional side (the pressure to stay upbeat, the worry you don’t talk about) while also giving you a steadier grasp of what’s happening and what comes next.
Best for: men who want a modern, step-by-step IVF companion.
Male Infertility Guide for Couples: A Male Fertility Expert’s “10 Week Man Plan” to Maximize Fertility
By Paul J. Turek, MD
If you’re the kind of person who likes a plan, this one’s for you. It takes a structured, week-by-week approach to optimising male fertility — especially helpful if you’ve had abnormal semen results, unexplained infertility, or repeated IVF disappointment.
It’s more “programme” than memoir, and pairs nicely with nutrition-first reads because it zooms out into medical factors and next-step discussions too.
Best for: couples who want a structured plan for male-factor or unexplained infertility.
Also helpful
Donor Child: a child of love
By Emma Groenbaek
If you’re considering donor conception, you may worry about how it could affect your future child. Emma Grønbaek shares her perspective as someone conceived with an anonymous sperm donor.
Her story stays hopeful and reassuring. It reminds you that love builds a family — not genetics alone.
What Makes a Baby
By Cory Silverberg
Kids ask big questions, especially when your family story includes IVF, donors or surrogacy. This book gives you inclusive, age-appropriate language.
It explains the basics without assuming one “type” of family. Parents and kids both feel seen.
Count Down
By Dr Shanna H. Swan
Dr Shanna Swan pulls together research on sperm-count decline and reproductive health. The topic feels heavy, but the writing stays readable.
Use it if you want the science behind the “sperm health crisis” — and the ways modern environments may affect fertility.
Overcoming Male Infertility
By Leslie R. Schover, PhD and Anthony J. Thomas Jr., MD
When you want something more medical (without being a textbook), this is a solid next step. It’s written by a psychologist and a urologist, so it balances treatments and testing with the mental load that male infertility can bring.
It’s particularly useful once you’ve got a diagnosis — or if you’re trying to make sense of options and advocate for proper male testing rather than jumping straight to assumptions.
Best for: couples who want deeper, evidence-based understanding of male infertility and treatment options.
The Men’s Guide to Fertility Treatment (free guide)
By IVI (fertility clinic team)
Not a book, but genuinely useful — and free. This guide walks through fertility treatment from a man’s point of view: giving a sperm sample, coping during treatment, supporting your partner, and what happens when things don’t go to plan.
If you’re early in the process and want a practical overview you can read in one sitting, it’s a great “start here” resource alongside the books above.
Best for: men who want a quick, practical explainer without the overwhelm.
IVF WTF?!: An Adult Coloring and Stress Relief Book
by MeMoments Creative
IVF (and long fertility journeys) can grind you down. When you cut back on coping vices, you need other ways to decompress.
Try colouring. It sounds simple, but it can calm your mind fast and give you a break from constant fertility thoughts.
