It’s National Infertility Awareness Month! Growing up, there was never a thought in my mind that it would be difficult for me to conceive and remain pregnant. Infertility and I have been through a lot this past year. Infertility is an enormous part of my journey. I was embarrassed about being part of this community, but this is who I am. 

It is my responsibility to ensure that people are educated about Infertility Awareness. Let’s educate those who don’t understand infertility and those diagnosed with unexplained infertility like I first was.

Let’s use our voice to make our infertility known. It doesn’t matter your body size, skin color, or sexuality. According to WHO, 186 million individuals globally suffer from infertility!

Infertility occurs due to MALE and FEMALE factors. Yes, Grandma, men can also have issues with infertility, and no, having sex five times a day will NOT help.

There are two types of infertility:

Primary Infertility: An individual unable to conceive after 12 months of trying without birth control.

Secondary Infertility: An individual who has been pregnant before but has been unable to conceive after 12 months of trying without birth control.

And then, there are risk factors that can contribute to infertility. Below are just SOME of these factors.

Female Factors:

• Blocked fallopian Tubes
• Previous ectopic pregnancy
• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
• Pituitary Gland disorder, such as Cushing’s syndrome (high cortisol levels)
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome 
• Ovarian cysts
• Endometriosis
• Uterine Fibroids, Uterine Polyps
• Thyroid Disease (hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, etc)
• Blood Disorder

Male factors:

• Enlarged veins in the scrotum
• High heat exposure to testicles
• Injury to the scrotum or testicles that causes Antibodies in the Sperm
• Low sperm count or low testosterone
• Misuse of testosterone steroids
• Testicular Cancer
• Undescended Testicles

And with the lack of research on infertility, there may be many more factors.

My infertility factors include but may not be limited to (because who the hell knows what else is bubbling in my body), A blood disorder called Antiphospholipid Syndrome, Hypothyroidism, and I recently found out that I have a Uterine Fibroid. According to my doctor, if the Fibroid is not removed. There can be issues with implantation of the embryo and first-semester miscarriage.

As the month goes on, I will continue to honor National Infertility Awareness Month. I am at anyone’s disposal if you’re interested in learning more about infertility and IVF or if you would like support. Remember to be kind to each other. Infertility is an excruciating process, and we need one another for support. We will get through this!