Yes, I do feel that it is shameful. How can not being able to conceive without help not be shameful? The most common reasons for needing it include the man having a low sperm count or his sperm not being able to swim properly. I don’t want people, especially people I barely know and don’t particularly trust, speculating if those things are true about me. (They’re not, my wife had a low egg reserve, but people don’t know that and if I tell them it may seem like I’m lying to protect my masculinity).

How does it sound like Bob has matured? Yes, he keeps telling me that IVF isn’t in any way embarrassing or shameful and that they don’t think anything of it, but he told me that same thing about my height at uni and then would constantly brag about him being 6 feet and if anyone commented on his weight he would immediately retort that he was the tallest.

And even if he has matured (Bob isn’t his real name, btw), that doesn’t change my self-consciousness about my height that he partly caused and that has caused me severe self-esteem issues over the years.

FYI, I was also diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder 2 years ago.