A few weeks ago a writer from Chile contacted me wanting to write about our story and about embryo donation for a local magazine. We chatted on Skype and the article came out today in a magazine called El Mercurio-Revista YA, so if you can read Spanish you might want to check it out. I'm not really sure what it says because my Espanol skills go to about the 7th grade, but I believe it talks about infertility and embryo donation, and discusses the medical, legal and ethical perspectives in Chile.
It got me thinking about how infertility is a worldwide issue and experience. The most recent stat in America is that 7.3 million people suffer with infertility. That was in 2012. And I think must be low. I don't know what the numbers are in Australia or Japan or the UK, but it's millions and millions of people around the world. Each country deals with infertility within the context of their culture, and I think it would be really interesting to know more about what that looks like. Laws are different around the world and perhaps that sets the tone for what is medically available and how much support there is for people. It also often sets the tone for how people feel about their fertility struggles, whether it be stigma and shame or an understanding that infertility is a medical diagnosis that isn't anyone's fault.
Infertility doesn't discriminate. It hits people from all over the world, younger people, older people, men and women, people in Brazil and people in China, well-off and not. And I also know that the feelings on IF Island are universal, so that even if we don't speak the same language we can understand the shared experience. We understand the basic biological urge to procreate and the unrelenting desire to have a family. And yet most people in the struggle feel so totally alone.
That's one of the reasons Noah and I are documenting our story and the story of others who have built their family in alternative ways. Because people shouldn't feel alone.
Always so proud of you my friend :)
Posted by: G-funk | February 26, 2015 at 06:26 PM
I speak Spanish so I read the article. I thought it was good- very balanced and unbiased. Interesting to read about Chile's laws and other countries' laws.
Posted by: Lisa @ Amateur Nester | February 26, 2015 at 11:47 AM
Hi Maya! I'm from argentina, although I live in méxico now. In argentina there's a law that makes medicals ensurances to cover reproductive treatments. I truly regretted that we moved to mexico when we started looking for our baby. In argentina there are groups of women fighting for their right to be mothers. It's amazing.
Posted by: María | February 26, 2015 at 09:33 AM