National Infertility Awareness Week® (NIAW) takes place this week (April 23-29, 2017), a yearly initiative founded by RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, to encourage people to act as their own infertility advocates and to educate legislators and the public about how infertility impacts one in eight couples within our community.
SGF and RESOLVE
Since establishing a partnership with RESOLVE, Shady Grove Fertility has helped to raise not only awareness about infertility, but tens of thousands of dollars in support through annual events that advance RESOLVE’s programming, such as support groups, educational content, public awareness initiatives, and advocacy to ensure that family building options are available to everyone.
#LISTENUP – 2017 National Infertility Awareness Week
The message behind this year’s theme, “Listen Up!” is intended to empower the community to raise awareness to our lawmakers, insurance providers, and employers by educating them about the prevalence of infertility. Together, Shady Grove Fertility and RESOLVE are asking those affected by infertility to educate their community about the importance of being proactive about reproductive health and to know the guidelines for when it’s time to see a fertility specialist.
NIAW is only one of the many ways throughout the year in which Shady Grove Fertility spreads awareness and supports the infertility community. On May 18, 2017, Shady Grove Fertility physicians and staff will let their voices be heard at Advocacy Day, a RESOLVE event, sponsored by Shady Grove Fertility, and in partnership with the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), where the infertility community will come together to speak with members of Congress about topics that advance access to family building options and provide financial relief to those in need. This event is an opportunity to let voices be heard and connect with influencers in the fertility community.
Listen Up!:
Be Your Own Advocate
With one in eight couples experiencing infertility, with the number one predictor of infertility being the woman’s age, it is important for the community to come together and present a unified front, spreading awareness and letting couples know when it’s time to see a fertility specialist—given the importance of early intervention and how predominantly maternal age affects pregnancy outcomes. Shady Grove Fertility physicians typically recommend for a couple in which the woman is younger than 35, has normal cycles, and no risk factors for infertility, a year of trying to get pregnant without success is enough to warrant special attention. However, there are most definitely cases in which the 1-year standard isn’t the best course of action. Generally, when the woman is 35 to 39, a fertility consultation (to make sure there are no infertility-causing conditions besides age) should be considered after 6 months of unprotected intercourse, or after 3 months (preferably immediately) for women who are 40 or older.
In addition to age, other factors have such an impact on a woman’s fertility that a fertility workup is necessary, including:
- Irregular or absent menstrual period
- Genetic disorders
- Two or more miscarriages
- History of sexually transmitted infections, or STIs (formerly known as sexually transmitted diseases, STDs)
- Endometriosis
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Family history or previous diagnosis of premature menopause
- Male factor infertility
- Endocrine (hormonal) disorders such as thyroid disease
To learn more about National Infertility Awareness Week and advocating for infertility insurance coverage, or to schedule an appointment, please call 1-877-971-7755 or click here to complete this simple form.
At Shady Grove Fertility, we’re here to give you the caring support you deserve as you start or grow your family. As a leading fertility and IVF center of excellence, we offer patients individualized care, innovative financial options, over 30 accepted insurance plans, and pregnancy rates among the highest of all national centers. We offer patients the convenience of 19 full-service and 6 satellite locations across Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. More than 1,700 physicians choose Shady Grove Fertility to refer their patients, and more than 96 percent of our patients say they would recommend Shady Grove Fertility’s 39 physicians to a friend. With 10 Shady Grove Fertility babies born each day, your dream of starting or growing your family is within reach.
