National Infertility Awareness Week - Mental Health and Fertility Challenges

National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW), happening from April 20-26, 2025, was founded by RESOLVE in 1989 as a movement to deepen public understanding of infertility and emphasize its recognition as a medical condition that deserves attention. This initiative strives to educate individuals on the family-building journey, highlight available medical guidelines and specialized care, and advocate for greater awareness among lawmakers about the far-reaching impact of infertility nationwide. This week is often a time for people to share their fertility journey stories, and for communities to come together to support one another to hopefully make the journey a little easier. Nobody should have to walk this journey alone.

Breaking the Silence : Shining Light on Infertility

The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 1 in 6 people worldwide experience infertility. This statistic does not account for many LGBTQ+ couples or individuals who choose to parent without a partner, who may also require assisted reproductive treatments to build their families. Additionally, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine reports that a couple between the ages of 29 and 33 with a healthy reproductive system has only a 20-25% chance of conceiving in any given month.

Many people, regardless of gender, experience social stigma, emotional distress, difficulty in relationships, depression, anxiety, sexual dysfunction, diminished pleasure and orgasm as well as diminished self-esteem. The mental health impact of infertility is significant, and therapy can play a crucial role in helping individuals and couples navigate these challenges, offering support, coping strategies, and a safe space to process complex emotions associated with infertility.

Let's Talk About It

Fertility challenges and treatments can have a profound impact on mental health for both individuals and couples. Despite being a common experience, infertility is often stigmatized and not openly discussed. As a result, many facing these struggles may feel isolated and powerless. Let's shed some light on the stressors that follow fertility struggles:

• Financial Strain – The high cost of treatments, medications, and procedures.

• Emotional Toll – The rollercoaster of hope, disappointment, and grief.

• Physical Demands – The toll on the body from treatments, procedures, and hormonal shifts.

• Impact on Intimacy – The stress and pressure that can affect relationships.

• Family Pressures – The expectations, unsolicited advice, and well-meaning but painful questions.

• Political and Social Barriers – The lack of access, insurance coverage, and societal misconceptions.

• Feelings of Body Betrayal – The pain of feeling like your body is working against you.

And so much more.

Navigating this journey can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. It’s okay to acknowledge the pain, frustration, and uncertainty that come with fertility struggles and the stressors surrounding it. It’s okay to grieve, to feel angry, to question, and to hope.

If you are longing to become a parent and struggling with infertility, we stand with you. This week honors both hope and heartache—the love for a child you have yet to meet and the grief of the journey to get there.

Finding support—whether through loved ones, professional counseling, or a community that understands—can make all the difference. No one should have to carry this burden in silence.

If infertility is taking a toll on your mental health, please know that you are not alone. In the crowded room of 1 in 6, there is always space for you on The Couch.

#ALLinFertility