April 22nd – April 28th is National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW) and the theme is, “Flip the Script”. RESOLVE, the National Infertility Association, a group dedicated to ensuring that all people challenged in their family building journey reach resolution through knowledge, supported by community, united by advocacy, and inspired to act, wants to change the conversation around infertility so the public, media, insurers, healthcare professionals and lawmakers understand:
- The scope of the problem and who is struggling to build a family.
- There are many barriers for millions of people who struggle to build a family. These barriers include: lack of insurance coverage, out-of-pocket costs, faith and religion, sexual orientation, and state and federal laws.
- The impact of infertility is far reaching—it impacts family, friends, co-workers, and employers.
We at the Alliance for Fertility Preservation, are working every day to share stories of those who have been diagnosed with or survived cancer and faced family-building challenges as a result. We aim to share these stories with other newly-diagnosed patients and survivors who looking to build their families, so that they can learn about the paths, issues and solutions of their peers. We also want to reach oncologists, policymakers, and legislators, so they might better understand this life-changing experience in a more personal way, and, hopefully, join with us to increase communication about infertility and access to needed services.
More than ever, as we see fertility preservation bills introduced in states across the nation, including Maryland, Delaware, Illinois, New York and Louisiana (to name just a few), we need patient voices like yours to lend a human side to these efforts. By speaking out, you represent how much of an impact having family building options can bring hope to when facing a difficult diagnosis. Too often, the topic of infertility isn’t considered or discussed, and future options are lost. We need to change that.
Whether you are a survivor considering family-building options or a newly-diagnosed patient thinking about fertility preservation, we want to hear from you! We are here to support you, offer you resources, connect you to other patients and services that you need.
So, in the spirit of “flipping the script,” please fill out our “Share Your Story Form”. You can share your story just with us (and have it remain private), post your story on our website for fellow patients to see, or, if you’re open to it, join us as an advocate publicly as we speak out on behalf of patients’ rights.
Thank you in advance for reading this post, for sharing with others and hopefully, for joining the fight!