Self concept can either be positive or negative. It all depends on the individual on how he perceives himself in relation with his environment and especially on how his physical characteristics can greatly affects his self worth. Many people say that when one has a perfect physical attribute then he has high self esteem, and when one has good self- esteem then he has a healthy self- concept. How one feels about himself radiates by how he interacts with his environment and the people surrounding him.
Physical reproductive ability is an important part of gender identity and overall self concept. People may tag you as “abnormal” when you cannot perform this function because as human being it is a normal phenomenon that every man or woman is able to produce an offspring. This alone, can greatly affect one’s self- concept. Inability to conceive greatly affects the way a woman sees herself. It would be a great damage on her emotionally.
For her, she would not perform the role every woman should and that is to conceive. Conceiving a child is considered as a miracle and letting someone not experience it makes her “cursed” and not blessed. It is such a turning point in woman’s life once she gets pregnant. Pregnancy defines the woman itself and without experiencing it, a woman cannot be called as such. When a woman is unable to conceive then she sees herself as a futile individual with no purpose at all.
Any man would feel devastated and broken into pieces when he hears his medical report telling him that he has low sperm count. When a man discovers this, it will damage his self- esteem and self- concept. This event will make him insecure. It makes him feel that he is less of a man or may be not a true man at all. For him, a man should be able to able to give a child to his partner. And in not doing so, because of his low sperm count, he will not be able to function normally as a man and as a partner.