{"id":479,"date":"2019-11-06T09:30:15","date_gmt":"2019-11-06T09:30:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breaking-the-silence.online\/index.php\/2019\/11\/06\/unaware-of-ivf-infertility-is-common-but-remains-a-taboo-issue\/"},"modified":"2024-09-14T06:25:04","modified_gmt":"2024-09-14T06:25:04","slug":"unaware-of-ivf-infertility-is-common-but-remains-a-taboo-issue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/2019\/11\/06\/unaware-of-ivf-infertility-is-common-but-remains-a-taboo-issue\/","title":{"rendered":"Unaware of IVF, infertility is common, but remains a taboo issue."},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

ITV News Presenter Andrea Byrne has opened up about the ‘infertility<\/strong> taboo<\/span><\/strong>‘ and ‘isolation’ she felt while trying for a baby<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Our <\/span>daughter, Jemima, is about to turn one. “Everything is put on hold”. As I write this, Jemima is napping in her nursery.<\/p>\n

When it is discussed in the press, infertility<\/strong> headlines are often about the number of cycles couples endure or the amount of money they\u2019ve spent.<\/p>\n

My message to everyone<\/strong> is this. Yes, infertility<\/strong> is awkward. Yes, it is complicated.<\/p>\n

Thank you to everyone<\/strong> who reached out to us and for the unwavering support<\/strong> behind the scenes from ITV, which was invaluable on so many levels.<\/p>\n

I chased my child. I fought for him with everything<\/strong> I had. I put my life, my physical health, my mental health on the line because I wanted a baby so badly.<\/p>\n

Surrogacy is not something you take lightly. There are several countries that allow it, but the laws can change overnight. There are pros and cons to each country\u2019s laws, but none of the options are perfect.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t been through it yourself, you know someone who has.<\/p>\n

Fertility treatment<\/strong> for men<\/strong> and women<\/strong><\/p>\n

The inability to conceive naturally is most commonly a result<\/strong> of specific medical conditions.<\/p>\n

Rewriting the medical textbook for fertility<\/strong> experts<\/p>\n

Moreover, such gendered language<\/strong> places undue emphasis on the woman<\/strong>. “As a society, we haven\u2019t ditched the age-old stereotype of \u2018the barren old maid\u2019,” argues Sarah Heywood, founder of The Journey, a platform set up to provide more evidence-based information about fertility<\/strong>.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

Enshrining gender-neutral language<\/strong> in the context of fertility<\/strong><\/p>\n

This serves to illustrate the scale of the task when it comes to removing gendered language<\/strong> from the fertility<\/strong> journey and reducing infertility<\/strong> stigma as a whole.<\/p>\n

Creating community<\/strong> online<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Much like Casey, Mairin Wheland, an Irish infertility<\/strong> patient, felt she had no one to turn to for support<\/strong> when she was going through IVF.<\/p>\n

Regina Townsend, founder of The Broken Brown Egg, says she felt particularly lonely when she and her husband embarked on their own infertility<\/strong> journey.<\/p>\n

Tackling the fertility<\/strong> information gap<\/p>\n

Digital infertility<\/strong> support<\/strong> groups don\u2019t just provide community<\/strong>; as Wheland discovered, they also are a real educational resource for many people. Research shows that the average person has very little understanding of the basics of fertility<\/strong>, no matter their income or education level.<\/p>\n

Highlighting individual journeys and struggles<\/p>\n

Knowledge is power, and it\u2019s by sharing<\/strong> knowledge and creating connections that these online groups are succeeding in breaking down stigmas associated with infertility<\/strong>, especially in communities where the topic is especially taboo<\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

“There are a lot of conversations in the Black community<\/strong> about what we \u2018don\u2019t\u2019 do,” Townsend says. “We don\u2019t go to therapy, we pray. We don\u2019t \u2018give our kids away\u2019 or adopt. Phrases like that are really damaging.<\/p>\n

When Men Are Infertile<\/p>\n

Am I a terrible person? When our first IVF doc came back with the results of our diagnostic tests and didn\u2019t find anything wrong with my husband Solomon<\/a>, I was disappointed.<\/p>\n

“There\u2019s a lot of pressure on the male partner, because the woman<\/strong> is saying, \u2018We can\u2019t wait, my eggs are going to expire!'” Dr. Davidson says.<\/p>\n

Crystal Cox\/Business Insider<\/p>\n

In a chapter in Conceiving Masculinity called “Masculinity and Virility in the Social Milieu,” she writes about idioms like “shooting blanks.” “Compare the idea of \u2018shooting blanks\u2019 to other colloquial jargon such as \u2018grow a pair\u2019 and \u2018that takes balls.\u2019 These fragments of language<\/strong> illustrate the prevailing cultural belief that healthy testicles producing potent sperm<\/strong> are a symbol of strength, courage, power, manliness and masculinity,” she writes.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

Adam<\/a> spent many hours online reading every study. He also underwent three biopsies to extract sperm<\/strong> for IVF with ICSI . “The worst part is that everything<\/strong> always looked great-so there was always a reason to try again,” he says.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s important to Jeffries, regardless of the method, is that those dealing with infertility<\/strong> find a way to open up about their struggles.<\/p>\n

An \u2018oasis in a desert\u2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s that tight sense of community<\/strong> that makes infertility<\/strong>-related content such an oasis in a desert of internet trolls. “Infertility, if that\u2019s what you\u2019re suffering from, it\u2019s a disease \u2013 something is wrong with your body,” says Prato<\/a>, who also runs Infertile AF\u2019s Instagram , which as she says, has “snowballed” into its own support<\/strong> network. “I always call the worst club with the best members,” she says. Jeffries echoes that sentiment: “It is a very positive community<\/strong>. Very seldom do I have to tell people in my comments to chill out.<\/p>\n

Pregnancy discrimination has been illegal since 1978, but there are plenty of other topics surrounding family<\/strong> planning<\/strong> and fertility<\/strong> that many employees may hesitate to bring up in the workplace<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report, that\u2019s starting to change as more women<\/strong> begin feeling more comfortable opening up to their colleagues and employers<\/strong> about everything<\/strong> from miscarriages to fertility<\/strong> treatments.<\/p>\n

Experts say being open about formerly taboo<\/span><\/strong> reproductive topics could help<\/strong> benefit an employee<\/strong>\u2019s personal and professional life, as well as help<\/strong> fight workplace<\/strong> stigma against reproductive health.<\/p>\n

Workplace fertility<\/strong> policies can help<\/strong> ease experience for employees<\/p>\n

Although human resources professionals are equipped to tackle many personal issues, understanding the far-reaching impact of fertility<\/strong> problems is often outside their skillset.<\/p>\n

Supporting employees with fertility<\/strong> issues is good for everyone<\/strong><\/p>\n

Employers may not realise infertility<\/strong> is an illness, as defined by the World Health Organization, and that fertility<\/strong> treatment<\/strong> is not a choice; it is the recommended medical treatment<\/strong> for a recognised disease. However, in the UK, pre-conception care is not a statutory right, so employees do not have a right to absences for fertility<\/strong> treatment<\/strong> or the right to request flexible working, like they do for pre-natal and post-natal care.<\/p>\n

\"\"Consequently, when businesses do not have a workplace<\/strong> fertility<\/strong> policy, employees resort to using annual leave, unpaid leave, working part-time or ending their employment to accommodate IVF appointments.
\nOther unacceptable conversations include drugs, sex and parenting techniques, with Brits going as far as to say discussing these \u2018taboo<\/span><\/strong>\u2019 subjects leaves them feeling \u2018anxious\u2019 and \u2018nervous\u2019.<\/p>\n

Clinical and counselling psychologist Tamara Licht Musso said: “Not talking can seem the best short term strategy, but is a negative coping mechanism and at some point it cracks.<\/p>\n

What is Cervical Mucus?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

CM is exactly what it sounds like. What\u2019s the Big Deal? Fertility awareness-based methods like the Creighton Model have, for more than 30 years of scientific study, defined CM as a biological marker for charting monthly cycles.<\/p>\n

Turning the Tide<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, CM and its role in feminine health awareness isn\u2019t typically addressed by medical school curriculum and thus the larger healthcare community<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The path to more open discussions on cervical mucus, however, is not without its obstacles. Posts and photos of CM have recently been receiving scrutiny by the “Instagram police,” who have reported and banned multiple images. Certified FABM educator Megan McNamara of @famtasticfertility recently shared a message from Instagram saying her post showing CM was deleted because it didn\u2019t follow their “Community Guidelines on nudity or pornography” and that her account may be restricted or disabled if she violates these guidelines again.<\/p>\n

“I know what one feels like,” Reddit employee<\/strong> Cookie Arader quips.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

A conversation like this might not have happened even five years ago. In the workplace<\/strong>, many women<\/strong> delay, even dread, sharing<\/strong> their plans to start a family<\/strong>, partly because of the penalty on motherhood, what\u2019s known as the “maternal wall.” A landmark study from Cornell a decade ago showed that mothers are less likely to be recommended for jobs, and are seen as less competent, than childless women<\/strong>. In 2014, an analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found men<\/strong> often see a bump in pay after the birth of their first child, while women<\/strong>\u2019s wages shrink with each kid.<\/p>\n

And there\u2019s often hesitation about sharing<\/strong> fertility<\/strong> and pregnancy plans because many women<\/strong> experience miscarriages or have trouble conceiving.<\/p>\n

But a growing number of women<\/strong>, especially in tech, are bringing the discussion about family<\/strong> planning<\/strong> out of the gynecologist\u2019s office and into the workplace<\/strong> \u2014 sometimes even when applying for jobs.<\/p>\n

Probable Causes<\/p>\n

When a couple are experiencing fertility<\/strong> issues, their GP will most likely suggest a variety of tests for the woman<\/strong> and possibly a semen test for the man. They will then be recommended IVF treatment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Life Support<\/p>\n

Avradeep and Emma opted for IVF using donor sperm<\/strong>. “I felt bad for Emma because I was the reason she could not conceive naturally, and why we needed to go down this route,” he says. “She would have to undergo various uncomfortable procedures and blood tests, whereas my lack of sperm<\/strong> ruled me out immediately.” Sometimes, on the drive back from work, he would cry.<\/p>\n

The Next Generation<\/p>\n

Last year, scientists at the Francis Crick Institute announced they had created healthy offspring from genetically infertile male mice. It was a ground-breaking result<\/strong>, pointing to a potential new approach to tackling infertility<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The text of this article was generated by the Breaking The Silence<\/a> system that collected 17<\/strong> news articles posted on the web from January 2019 to September 2020 and clustered for the taboo subject of fertility<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ITV News Presenter Andrea Byrne has opened up about the ‘infertility taboo‘ and ‘isolation’ she felt while trying for a baby Our daughter, Jemima, is about to turn one. “Everything is put on hold”. As I write this, Jemima is napping in her nursery. When it is discussed in the press, infertility headlines are often about […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":258,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[46,186,43,99],"tags":[308,377,311,887,615,892,889,147,314,47,585,315,313,307,310,894,309,91,891,893,890,895,618,312,792,587,92,888],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/479"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=479"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/479\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1381,"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/479\/revisions\/1381"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/258"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}