Blog written by CLI Director of Operations Michelle Ottey, PhD.
My blog posts are most frequently written from an educational standpoint; the purpose of which is to help inform our patients about the process of choosing a sperm donor. Today I would like to write from a more personal perspective.
I’m in my mid-30s, and I can’t believe how many of my peers are experiencing issues with their fertility. Of my closest friends three have had to utilize artificial reproductive technology (ART) to build their families. Two others have had challenges but eventually were able to conceive naturally. Growing up this is not something that you hear about. In college, sitting around talking about our lives we never talked about the possibility of infertility. Several of my friends were shocked to find that they were not able to conceive naturally.
It is really inspiring to see the growth of online and in person communities supporting women who are dealing with either social or medical infertility. Everyone’s journey is so unique, but the presence of a community of like-minded individuals who experience similar challenges can be an essential resource.
I think it also helps that fertility has been more present in social media and pop culture. Even half-hour sitcoms have dealt with the issue. Bringing these concerns to the forefront, making them part of our social discussions can only help.
I’ve seen my friends build beautiful families using ART. It has been incredible to be able to be a resource for them to answer technical questions and even in one case to provide services.
