National Infertility Awareness Week offers opportunity to change the conversation around infertility

By Felicite Fallon
April 30, 2018

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In recognition of National Infertility Awareness Week, Columbia University Irving Medical Center participated in numerous activities designed to shed light on issues related to infertility that women and families may experience.

Lisa Grossman-Becht, MD, a reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist at the Columbia University Fertility Center, appeared in a compelling segment on the TODAY show with NBC News correspondent Morgan Radford. Radford had recently begun exploring the possibility of freezing her eggs as an “insurance policy” to preserve her future fertility no matter what course her life may take over the next several years. In this segment, Radford reported on her own personal quest to explore this option, which included taking initial steps to begin the process of freezing her eggs with Dr. Becht.

See the video here

Zev Williams, MD, PhD, and Eric Forman, MD, HCLD helped ring the closing bell at the Nasdaq on April 25, 2018.

Zev Williams, MD, PhD, and Eric Forman, MD, HCLD helped ring the closing bell at the Nasdaq on April 25, 2018.

Also in recognition of National Infertility Awareness Week, Zev Williams, MD, PhD, Chief of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility at CUIMC and Eric Forman, MD, HCLD helped ring the closing bell at the Nasdaq.

Dr. Williams was also interviewed for a TODAY.com story on the challenges many parents go through when experiencing secondary infertility.

“There is a natural assumption among many women and couples that if they were able to conceive easily in the past, then they will be able to do so in the future. Unfortunately, that is not always the case,” Williams said. “Sometimes we see couples that were able to conceive in the first month or two of trying and went on to have an easy pregnancy and healthy delivery. But, when they try to have their next baby, they are really struggling to get pregnant.”

National Infertility Awareness Week, founded by RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association in 1989, is a movement that sets out to reduce stigma and educate the public about reproductive health, as well as empower those are struggling or have struggled to build a family. 

Many who are currently or have formerly struggled with infertility took to social media to share their stories using the hashtag #FlipTheScript, which was the theme of this year's National Infertility Awareness Week. #FlipTheScript aimed to change the conversation around infertility so to help people better understand the scope of the problems presented by infertility and the struggle to build a family and the impact these issues can have.