I am blessed. In 1989 and again in 1992 I gave birth to my wonderful curly haired children! With the exception of a premature birth with our second, my pregnancies were easy and uncomplicated.
That is not the case with one out of every six couples in the United States who are faced with infertility! I was really taken by surprise when I encountered this statistic! One in every SIX couples are not able to have children without medical intervention or other help? WOW!
This month the RESOLVE – the National Infertility Association wants to educate the general population in an effort to show support and compassion for the “one” in every six couples who are challenged with infertility. National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW) was created 25 years ago to help create a supportive and understanding environment for those who opted for the many fertility treatments and options available. Twenty -five years later the technology, medicine and options have expanded which now means more than ever how important education is to information and services to those who are in need.
I must confess, prior to my partnership with HRC Fertility of Pasadena, I knew very little about what was available to those who had infertility problems. I knew about “IVF” and had a few friends who used donor sperm/egg programs, especially when they were in their late 30′s and 40′s. But, I had NO IDEA of what technologies were now being offered and how amazing the science truly was!
I was not aware about how each state and/or country allowed for different treatments. California is very progressive while other states make the legality of some options much more difficult. The United States, as a whole, is more advanced and accepting. For example, embryo adoption or surrogacy are often not available in some foreign countries. That is why international fertility tourism has become increasingly popular with couples seeking treatments, especially with couples in search of In Vitro Fertilization, traveling to States.
Same – sex couples also have had many more options available in order to build their families. Donor egg/ sperm/ embryo programs have been gaining popularity. Surrogacy also has become much more mainstream thanks to celebrities being open about using this option themselves!
For a list of celebrity who have used surrogates read here.
NIAW begins April 20-26th with many online and live events being offered all over the United States. HRC Fertility of Pasadena will be participating and posting via their social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter. I plan on joining them by tweeting and using the hashtag #NIAW to help others become more informed.
I know for some this is anything that is of interest to you – infertility. But, for the sake of the millions of people who find becoming a parent a challenge please consider helping out. Let others know of NIAW and the information available via the RESOLVE website .
Also, May 7th has been designated as ADVOCACY DAY where RESOLVE will be campaigning for infertility issues on a legislative level.
And, if ever you doubted what the “end game” was for fertility specialists, let me be the first to tell you that it is about the smiles of their patients and the warm fuzzy feeling you get when you cast your eyes on their newborn child! The photos below are compliments of “medical magic” that has helped create families via fertility options, including some familiar faces!
Note: I wrote this sponsored blog as an effort to educate readers about infertility issues. I was compensated by HRC Fertility of Pasadena but gladly would have done so for free! My goal is to help them with their efforts to build families!
