NIAW (National Infertility Awareness Week) is here! Since starting in 1989, the NIAW movement has been hosted by RESOLVE, a non-profit organization dedicated to infertility advocacy and support. As an avid supporter of RESOLVE, Donor Nexus is proud to participate in the #ChangeTheConversation campaign and do our part to spread awareness, advocacy, and compassion regarding infertility.
National Infertility Awareness Week is from April 19th - 25th, 2020.
“Together, we can change how others view infertility. It begins with being part of a national movement, National Infertility Awareness Week®. This week unites millions of Americans who want to remove the stigmas and barriers that stand in the way of building families.” -RESOLVE
Why is this Movement Important and What is Its Significance?
NIAW aims to increase awareness of the infertility struggles that many couples and individuals face. As stated by the CDC, “infertility is defined as not being able to get pregnant (conceive) after one year (or longer) of unprotected sex. Because fertility in women is known to decline steadily with age, some providers evaluate and treat women aged 35 years or older after 6 months of unprotected sex.”
Additionally, NIAW aims to help people become aware of their reproductive health. The National Infertility Association has worked together with many members in order to:
• Ensure that people who struggle with infertility know the guidelines in order to see a specialist regarding their infertility.
• Help the public understand that infertility is a disease that needs notice and should not be ignored.
• Educate the state legislators in understanding the impact that people face when struggling with infertility.
• National Infertility Awareness Week aims to increase awareness of infertility in men and women.
Infertility Awareness Facts:
• About 12% of women aged 15 to 44 in the United States have difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term, according to the CDC.
• Infertility affects 1 in 8 couples, which means that pretty much everyone has friends or family members living with infertility.
• Approximately one-third of infertility cases are women factor, one-third male-factor, and the other third is either a mix of male and female or unknown.
Together, we can #ChangeTheConversation by Acknowledging:
• There are so many people facing and overcoming infertility struggles and no one should be alone in their journey.
• The social stigma around infertility is unnecessary. Infertility is a health issue and should be viewed similarly to heart issues, lung issues, or any other organ system that doesn’t work as it’s meant to.
“I think bringing infertility out of the shadows helps society to view it like any other medical issue rather than a moral failing.” ~Megan Zander
Unique Paths to Parenthood
By #ChangingTheConversation, we are joining in to normalize different ways babies can be brought into the world.
Making Treatments Accessible
We are excited to be a part of this community by offering donor egg and donor embryo cycles to help couples and individuals achieve their dreams of parenthood! If you have a loved one who is struggling with infertility, we encourage you to educate yourself and #ChangeTheConversation by spreading awareness and compassion. To learn more, you can read through testimonials on our website or search YouTube for infertility journeys to listen to countless emotional and informative videos from women and men who have documented their entire IVF experiences. If you are an intended parent, we encourage you to remain hopeful and reach out to our team if you have any questions about using donor eggs or donor embryos!
Get Involved
• How can you get involved? Visit infertilityawareness.org for some great ideas!
• Click here to view and download NIAW graphics to share on your social media channels to spread awareness.
Keep Reading:
• Read the stories from patients who achieved pregnancy using donor eggs or donor embryos