by Merry Armentrout
I have a confession. I don't want anyone to know what I'm about to share, but feel the need to do so to prove a very important point. Let me start from the beginning...
As Director of Communications for The American Fertility Association my job is to spread the word about our organization. This involves working with the media, including the emergence of social media. I created a Facebook Fan Page for The AFA a few months ago, and I'm proud to say it rocks. The fan page includes 15 HD videos on a variety of topics, including Endometriosis, PCOS, Recurrent Miscarriage, In Vitro Fertilization and Reproductive Options for Gay Women, to name a few. The videos featured on our fan page come from The AFA's online library which includes Video Fact Sheets, informational fact sheets featuring a top expert in the fertility field on video. The best part, the videos are only a small fraction of our fan page. You can find pictures from our outreach events across the country, information on The AFA's board and staff members and daily posts and discussions on relevant topics on family building.
I've said it once, and I'm not afraid to say it again- our fan page rocks!
You would think I would be the first person to "Like" the own fan page I created, but I wasn't- I hesitated. That one small moment of hesitation shows there's a huge problem with the negative stigma associated with infertility. I didn't want to become a "fan" of The American Fertility Association because I didn't want my 550 "friends" on Facebook to think I was infertile. It doesn't matter the people who are closest to me, about 50 or so, know my husband and I haven't tried to have a baby yet, but it was the 500 other "friends" I was concerned with. The people I haven't seen since high school graduation, the people who I haven't talked with in years, it's those people I didn't want to think I was struggling with infertility.
If I saw a "Like" button for such organizations as Livestrong, a group that fights cancer, I would have no hesitation becoming a fan. In fact, thousands of people wear a yellow bracelet showing their support for fighting cancer. Cancer does affect more people, but infertility is one the rise. The latest statistic is one in 6- that's how many couples in the United States are facing infertility.
People who are coping with infertility have enough on their plate, so the least we can do is be supportive. How can we do that? The AFA is working tirelessly to normalize the conversation about infertility in the mainstream. Our goal is to remove the shame and embarrassment many people feel when dealing with infertility. I'm hoping my confession might help us towards that goal.
I'm urging all of you who are reading this blog to "Like" The American Fertility Association on Facebook. Become a fan. Email the link to your friends and family. Urge them to "Like" The AFA. The more fans we have the better. Everyone facing infertility should know they're not alone. Cheesy, but true- one in 6 remember.
Don't do what I did. Don't hesitate. Our mission is too important. Help us spread the joy of family.
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