At any given moment, at least one of my five group chats is texting about IVF. Or IUI. Or egg freezing.
Using assisted reproductive technology or other medical interventions to get pregnant is becoming more of a reality for women experiencing infertility in the US. Black women in particular, though, have to contend with significant barriers to fertility care, which means they often turn inward, or to their personal connections, to mitigate those challenges.
A common refrain I’ve heard from Black women over the years is: I wish more people talked about this. And so we are.
This series seeks to examine Black women’s specific experiences with infertility. Our first four stories explore the historical context of Black motherhood in the US, the mutual aid fertility networks people build, the highs and lows of finally becoming a mother, and what life is like when you stop trying to conceive.
One throughline in these stories is a lack of options, such as Black fertility specialists or Black sperm donors. Many women described having their concerns ignored by healthcare providers, and learning about serious health conditions much later in life.
Our coverage will continue to shed light on these disparities, and elevate them as matters of public health.