National Infertility Awareness Week

Floor Speech

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Mr. PETERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize April 24 to April 30 as National Infertility Awareness Week. Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive or carry a pregnancy to term after 12 months of trying to conceive.

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the World Health Organization recognize infertility as a disease.

Today, one in eight couples have trouble getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy. Infertility affects approximately 10 percent of the population, but rarely are the necessary medical treatments covered by insurance. Alarmingly, this, too, is the case for veterans who have served our country and have become infertile as a result of their service.

This issue strikes diverse groups, affecting people from all socioeconomic levels and cuts across racial, ethnic, and religious lines.

We must acknowledge the medical and emotional aspects of infertility and continue to support efforts to make treatment more accessible to help improve the quality of life for people with infertility.

This week, I ask that we all recognize and raise awareness on the issue of infertility as a disease and support the family-building efforts of those struggling with this disease of infertility.

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