{"ID":2871682,"CreatedAt":"2026-06-01T04:54:23.091178241Z","UpdatedAt":"2026-06-01T04:54:23.091178241Z","DeletedAt":null,"paper_url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.10003","arxiv_id":"2509.10003","title":"Beyond the Silence: How Men Navigate Infertility Through Digital Communities and Data Sharing","abstract":"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.","short_abstract":"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...","url_abs":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.10003","url_pdf":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/2509.10003v2","authors":"[\"Tawfiq Ammari\",\"Zarah Khondoker\",\"Yihan Wang\",\"Nikki Roda\"]","published":"2025-09-12T06:55:03Z","proceeding":"cs.HC","tasks":"[\"cs.HC\"]","methods":"[]","has_code":false}