There needs to be more of a discussion around infertility and fertility services

How fertility methods like IVF are giving more opportunities for conception for those who may not be able to and why Canada needs to do better in terms of coverage and accessibility

One thing that has always been on my adulting list is to have kids one day. 

I have always wanted kids; I did not just play with my baby dolls for fun, I genuinely was excited to take care of someone one day. Little did I know just the number of complexities that come with having kids at that age. 

Although we may jump to the idea of raising kids as a difficulty, simply conceiving them is a very serious difficulty that seems to still be overlooked today. Particularly, with COVID-19 passing through many of us have been rethinking our life choices, especially the grandiose ones. Thus, many have either jumped to wanting to postpone the fertility process with egg freezing or starting the process but needing a fertility services for support. 

I did not understand the complexities with fertility and kids until my late teens. As I grew older and became more familiarized with my body and dealing with menstruation issues myself, the fear of infertility had been mentioned to me, so I needed to learn more. 

There are many different fertility services, for example, In-vitro fertilization, also known as IVF, is a complex series of procedures used to help with fertility and assist with the conception of a child. This is usually done by combing the sperm and the egg under a microscope, kept in a lab for a bit, then transferring the egg back. 

Although this is a beautiful process and discovery, the reality dawned on me when I realized not everyone can just go through this procedure, let alone even carry a baby. Physically, many individuals with a uterus may have trouble carrying and/or conceiving a child, but many individuals who want children may not be able to conceive at all. 

As they need external aid or an extra push to get things rolling, it can come with a great cost, as IVF in Ontario is around $20,000 (your first cycle covered of course by our amazing healthcare, just the first).  

The cost of the overall procedures on one’s bank account, energy and overall well-being can be dreadful and traumatic. Additionally, the accessibility is not vast due to the lack of fertility coverage, yet just in the last five years, the IVF procedure has gone up by 30 per cent.  

For example, Canada will only cover the first cycle of IVF and you also will not be covered for any fertility medication that you need to be on. I would love to know where the government thinks we have all this money? 

Infertility affects one in six Canadians and is an even bigger barrier for those who fall in marginalized communities simply due to their sexuality, disabilities and race. 

Many may already be thinking about what options to lean towards as we really are here, adulting or whatever it is. 

It is important that we incorporate fertility issues and services within our sex-ed system, as many individuals are not aware of this at all, or if so, very late in life. Moreover, our government, specifically our healthcare system, has ways to go in terms of fertility. 

The lack of coverage, immense costs and lack of support is immense, and it only snowballs into other issues. Creating a life can be one of the most exciting and beautiful times of one’s life, it is important we let any individual with a heart who wants to be a parent, to be a parent.