Shedding light on infertility and its challenges

National Infertility Awareness Week occurs from April 21 to 27 this year and is observed during the last week of April. Here at FOX 5 N.Y., we're shedding light on infertility and the challenges many people encounter in building their families.

What is infertility? 

Infertility is when a couple has been trying to conceive a child for a year but is unsuccessful.

It can strike anyone, regardless of sexuality, economic background, or race. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 8 couples in the U.S. struggle with infertility. The medical reasons can vary. 

For Gessie Thompson and her husband, Marc, uterine fibroids caused her to struggle with infertility for over a decade. Fibroids are benign tumors of the uterus that often come back after they are removed.

"My journey to motherhood included five surgeries before I even had my daughter. As well [as] five IVF cycles; In order to have her, and a devastating miscarriage," Gessie said.

According to the National Institute of Health," Black women are twice as likely to report infertility but are only half as likely to be evaluated and treated as white women."

And it's not just women who struggle. According to Resolve, the National Infertility Association, one-third of infertility is attributed to a male partner.

Gessie became a patient advocate. She started a wellness company, "The Detox Now." It uses integrative medicine to help other women struggling with infertility and fibroids.

If you are dealing with infertility, you are not alone. Contact a specialist or reach out to Resolve 866.NOT.ALONE (866.668.2566) to speak with someone who has a similar journey and can offer insight. 

To learn more about issues of the womb, check out our Fox 5 special.