According to a study published in Contraceptive and Reproductive Medicine, 15% of white women between ages 25 and 44 seek treatment for infertility, but only 8% of Black women in the same age range seek the help they need to grow their families. In the following story, Shiraine shares her journey to parenthood and opens up about why infertility is so difficult for many in the Black community to talk about.

Finding ways to stay connected with loved ones while navigating the stress of fertility treatment can be incredibly difficult - but here's why making the effort is so important.

When you are trying to conceive with the help of a fertility specialist, your doctor needs to closely track your body's response to any medications. Regular check-ins, often referred to as "morning monitoring" appointments, help track your progress.

How do I choose the best fertility clinic for me? Which factors should I pay attention to as I evaluate my options? Here are the most important aspects of a fertility practice and how they relate to your journey to parenthood.

For those struggling to conceive, fertility testing is an essential first step of the process. A hysterosalpingogram (HSG) is one of the diagnostic procedures that helps evaluate the uterus and fallopian tubes for any abnormalities that might impede conception.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) may be the most well-known fertility treatment method, but it's not your only option. Depending on your situation, you may want to consider other family-building pathways, such as intrauterine insemination (IUI).

While IVF an amazing process that results in the birth of thousands of long-awaited babies each year, it's also physically and emotionally taxing. These practical, comforting gift ideas from a former fertility patient will help make the experience just a little easier.

If IVF was a movie, the medications would be the villainous sidekicks. Not the menacing bad guy, but all the annoying, unwanted plot points along the way. Even when you know they're essential to the journey, you still wish you could skip to the end without encountering them.