Fertility Blog

Endometriosis can be a challenging condition to navigate, and it's often difficult to find the answers you need. Let's explore the most common endometriosis symptoms, treatment options and the emotional impact of living with this often painful disease with the help of Casey Berna, an advocate and counselor in the endometriosis community. 

Did you know that Black women are almost twice as likely to experience infertility, but only 8% of Black women seek fertility treatment (compared to 15% of White women)? Statistics like these, compounded by the fact that Black women are three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes, highlight inequalities in reproductive healthcare that we must address.

As a reproductive endocrinologist who works with fertility patients every day, I hear about a lot of the insensitive “tips” given to them. Patients will tell me they've heard that if they just stop worrying, they will magically get pregnant, or that a specific diet will help.

Every person deserves to have the opportunity to build a family. Infertility is a reproductive disease, and like any other disease, it should be covered by insurance. While there are an increasing number of grants out there, providing funds for the people in 31 states that have no state-mandated coverage (19 states do have limited mandated coverage, including Connecticut), would we expect someone with cardiac or pulmonary disease to apply and hope for a grant for medical treatment? Or would we expect that the medical coverage that we pay for would instead provide coverage for our medical problem?  With 1 in 8 people affected by fertility issues (similar numbers to those who are challenged by breast cancer), we do not have to face these discriminatory exclusions by ourselves. When asked, many legislators will tell you that their families are among the most important aspects of their lives. We stand together, to tell our legislators that our families are as important to us as theirs are to them.

When journalist Amy Klein got married and started trying to get pregnant, it was 2011. She was 41, and she was met with a distinct lack of fertility support. While patients struggling with fertility today have the benefit of online communities on Facebook and Instagram, the best that Amy could find were “mommy boards” - chat forums where women would talk about fertility treatment secretly, using initials rather than names.