Friday, April 27, 2012

NIAW

This week is National Infertility Awareness Week
And though I am not one who is affected directly by IF, I know many strong and brave women who are. Many live in a world where all you have to do is have sex to get pregnant. When in fact it's not that easy. Pregnancy and having a baby at the end of 9 months is a miracle. And even still many people think the solution to IF is simple cut and dry. IVF, IUI, or Adopt. When in fact it's not. NONE of these options guarantee a baby for one and for two none of these options are as simple as they seem. Your heart and mind have to be ready to consider any of these options. IF crushes a dream that we all have. To have a child of our own, the old fashioned way. And having that dream taken away hurts. Women that I know who's lives are affected by IF are some of the strongest, women I know.  Just knowing the things they have to go through to achieve a dream that is not guaranteed to come true, but yet  trudge forth. Of course they aren't all smiles and giggles everyday, but they are surviving. They are standing, they are putting the word out about IF they are speaking about it in hopes that their words help someone else. And today I want to do my part in spreading the word about IF.  


So I will end with a few facts about IF.

  1. Infertility is most often defined as the inability to achieve pregnancy following one year of unprotected sexual intercourse, or two or more miscarriages. 
  2. Approximately 6.1 million couples in the United States, or 10 percent of all couples of childbearing age, have difficulty conceiving.  
  3. One in six couples (17%) trying to get pregnant will experience some degree of infertility.
  4. Infertility affects both men and women
  5. 10% of all couples experience unexplained infertility, when no specific cause can be identified in either partner.

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