Fertility Journey Support Group will meet once a month on every third Monday @ 6PM
- When: Monday July 18th, Monday August 15th, Monday September 19th, Monday October 17th
- Where: South Valleys Library (yellow library) 15650 Wedge Pkwy Reno, NV 89511
RENO, Nev. (KOLO)– April is Infertility Awareness Month, and across the country this week is dedicated as the week to bring awareness to a very real issue to so many couples, truly all over the world. Tammy Gregg with Nevada Center for Reproductive Medicine joins me now, and full disclosure I am a patient of NCRM as we like to call it. You’re here because people in your medical practice noticed a need and that’s creating a support group.
Explain to me why one was needed in our community.
TG: Our community is in lack of a support group right now where we can break the silence of infertility. And not just patients of ours, but anyone in the community who wants outreach and talk to people about infertility. Or talk about their experience themselves or maybe to give back after they’ve gone through their own journey to have their own family.
SJ: It really has been, and maybe it’s generational, it has been a taboo discussion. But it’s one I know a lot of my friends face. And when I spoke about the endometriosis which is what I saw Dr. Foulk for, a lot of women said ‘people don’t talk about this.’ People have not discussed infertility issues. How, as a friend of someone who is dealing with infertility, how can you be a friend and broach the subject? I think a lot of poeple are afraid to talk about it.
TG: Yes. I feel like in the community, just in general, that a lot of people are afraid to talk about infertility. It’s kind of a secret that they haven’t been able to share with friends or family, or sometimes even talk about with their own spouse or partner. And so starting a support group is somewhere where they can come, even friends and family of someone who is going through infertility. You know infertility affects one in eight couples. And it is something that we rarely talk about as a community. And as a friend to someone who is going through that – it might be something to come and learn about infertility as a support group.
SJ: One in eight. So think of your core group of friends at home, and think one of them could be dealing with infertility. There’s no shame in it, and it’s sad because I think that a lot of women, even men, feel shame when they find out they have issues getting pregnant.
TG: Absolutely. Um, it is something that is not very talked about a lot amongst, with friends. People feel like because of their age, or their status, for many different reasons they keep it to themselves. And sometimes they just need someone to talk to. That may not be able to talk to their family or their friends or their spouse. And it’s a definite need in our community that we can all reach out and talk about infertility.
SJ: So when is your first support group?
TG: Our first support group will be May 16th, Monday night at 6pm at the South Valleys Library.
SJ: That’s the big yellow one.
TG: The big yellow one off of Wedge Parkway. And it is open to everyone in the community.
SJ: Men, women?
TG: Friends, mothers, fathers. Anybody who just wants to come talk about their own journey, maybe they’re experiencing infertility right now. Or just to become more educated about the topic.
SJ: And for anyone out there. Please don’t assume that a couple can have children. Do not ask ‘when are you going to have a baby?’ It’s one of the toughest questions for people dealing with infertility. Thank you so much for coming in.
