What is National Infertility Awareness Week?

National Infertility Awareness Week is recognized during the last week of April and is a national movement founded in 1989 by RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association. 

During this week, millions of Americans come together to raise awareness and enhance the public’s understanding of infertility needs and the barriers that individuals and couples face when building their families.

“1 in 8 couples has trouble getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy, and many more people face barriers to building a family. They are all someone you know. We can all be part of the conversation. We can all raise our voices. We can all change the narrative and truly support people with infertility,” said Barbara Collura, RESOLVE’s President/CEO. “Let’s use NIAW to raise our voices, talk about the issues facing this community, and make sure we continue to support those most in need.”

During the week of April 24 to 30, we encourage you to wear the color orange, which promotes a sense of general wellness and emotional energy. According to the NIAW website, Orange can help a person recover from disappointments, a wounded heart, or a blow to one’s pride.

In addition to donning orange during this symbolic week, here are a few other ways you can raise awareness about infertility and help inspire others:

1) Share your story on your feed or in a Reel about your struggle with infertility. Is it facing barriers with accessing treatment, living without children, adoption, surrogacy, or 3rd party family building? 

2) Instead of the anecdotes of telling people who face challenges in building a family, “You should just” use the hashtag #WeCanAll and share some ways we can all change the status quo.

3) Send a supportive message to friends and family members struggling to build a family. A whisper of encouragement goes a long way for someone who needs a lift.

4) Show your support by changing your social media profile picture to an orange heart.

5) Host a virtual event or fundraiser to help raise awareness and break down barriers.