Read more about the article LGBTQ Couples Fight for Reproductive Healthcare Benefits
Fertility Treatment Benefits / IFLG / Insurance / Intended Parents / LGBTQ Community Reproductive Healthcare / LGBTQ Reproductive Healthcare / Reproductive Health Benefits / Reproductive Laws / Same Sex Parents

LGBTQ Couples Fight for Reproductive Healthcare Benefits

As a growing number of same-sex couples turn to assisted reproductive technology (ART) to create their families, many are disheartened to find disparities in reproductive healthcare benefits provided by employers and insurers compared to their heterosexual counterparts. In many cases, LGBTQ couples are being denied fertility benefits, because they don’t fit into an antiquated mold of traditional male and female gender roles.

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February 6, 2024
Read more about the article In Defense of Surrogacy: Balancing Religious Values and Individual Choices
Assisted Reproductive Technology / Fertility Treatment / IFLG / In Vitro Fertilization / Intended Parents / IVF / Rich Vaughn / Surrogacy

In Defense of Surrogacy: Balancing Religious Values and Individual Choices

Pope Francis recently made an absolute statement advocating for the complete prohibition of surrogacy, a position that reflects the traditional stance of the Roman Catholic Church on assisted reproductive technologies. While we respect everyone’s right to their own religious beliefs, it is equally important to consider that individuals who do not subscribe to those particular teachings should not be compelled to follow them.

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January 9, 2024
Read more about the article 6 Things to Know Before Starting IVF
Assisted Reproductive Technology / Fertility Treatment / IFLG / In Vitro Fertilization / Insurance / Intended Parents / IVF / Preparation Before IVF / Preparing For IVF / Rich Vaughn

6 Things to Know Before Starting IVF

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 2.3% of babies born yearly in the United States are the result of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) thanks to the work of thousands of ART professionals coupled with the determination, sacrifice, and love of thousands of so many intended parents, egg and sperm donors, and surrogates.

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October 16, 2023
Read more about the article More Women Are Freezing Their Eggs Due to Lack of Suitable Men
ART in Popular Culture / Assisted Reproductive Technology / Biological Time Clock / Cryopreservation / Egg Freezing / Fertility Preservation / Fertility Treatment / IFLG / Trends in Reproductive Health

More Women Are Freezing Their Eggs Due to Lack of Suitable Men

Prior to 2012, egg freezing had been deemed “experimental” by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), and the procedure had been largely only available to patients who were undergoing chemotherapy or other medical treatments that affect fertility. Removing egg freezing from the classification of “experimental” opened the procedure up to a larger population of women, and now over a decade later, the number of women freezing their eggs to preserve their fertility has increased significantly.

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September 27, 2023
Read more about the article Baby Born via Mitochondrial Donation Gives Hope to Families with Genetic Mitochondrial Disorders
Assisted Reproductive Technology / Egg and Sperm Donors / Egg donation news / Fertility Services / IFLG / Intended Parents / Mitochondrial Disease / Mitochondrial Donation Therapy / Reproductive Laws / Scientific Discovery / Trends in Reproductive Health

Baby Born via Mitochondrial Donation Gives Hope to Families with Genetic Mitochondrial Disorders

Mitochondrial Donation Therapy offers hope to families by preventing the passing of genetic disorders from parent to child. Mitochondrial DNA is passed down from mother to child, and genetically mutated mitochondria can carry an array of incurable disorders such as muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, neurological problems, seizures, vision and hearing loss, muscle weakness, cognitive and developmental delays, and early death.

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September 13, 2023
Read more about the article Texas Abortion Ban Risks Women’s Health and Stretches into the World of Assisted Reproduction
Abortion Law / Assisted Reproductive Technology / Frozen Embryos / IFLG / Reproductive Laws / Rich Vaughn / Texas Abortion Ban / Trends in Reproductive Health

Texas Abortion Ban Risks Women’s Health and Stretches into the World of Assisted Reproduction

With its restrictive abortion law, the state of Texas has become an example of why bans on abortion are not only a detriment to women’s rights and health, but, as time passes and lawsuits are filed, it is also giving us insight into possible far-reaching consequences in the world of assisted reproduction.

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August 29, 2023
Read more about the article What’s Really Involved When Donating Your Eggs?
ART in Popular Culture / Egg and Sperm Donors / Egg Donation Information / Egg donation news / IFLG / Rich Vaughn

What’s Really Involved When Donating Your Eggs?

Egg donors have helped thousands of intended parents fulfill their dreams of parenthood. According to a study of prospective egg donors published in the Oxford Academic Journals, 98 percent of participants expressed that altruism played a significant role in their decision to donate eggs.

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August 15, 2023
Read more about the article ‘The Kids Are All Right’ – Study Shows Children Born through Egg Donation, Sperm Donation, and/or Surrogacy Grow Up Just Fine
ART in Popular Culture / Assisted Reproductive Technology / Donor-conceived people / Egg and Sperm Donors / Egg donation news / Fertility Treatment / IFLG / In Vitro Fertilization / Intended Parents / IVF / Rich Vaughn / sperm donation

‘The Kids Are All Right’ – Study Shows Children Born through Egg Donation, Sperm Donation, and/or Surrogacy Grow Up Just Fine

A 20-year study finds that children born via egg donation, sperm donation, and/or surrogacy grow up just fine, overturning long-held assumptions that children born via assisted reproductive technology (ART) are…

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June 27, 2023
Read more about the article California Poised to Pass a Bill Mandating IVF Insurance for Large-Group Health Plans
Assisted Reproductive Technology / Fertility Preservation / Fertility Services / Fertility Treatment / Fertility Treatment Benefits / IFLG / In Vitro Fertilization / Infertility / Insurance / IVF / LGBT News / Reproductive Health Benefits / Reproductive Laws

California Poised to Pass a Bill Mandating IVF Insurance for Large-Group Health Plans

If passed into law, SB 729 would redefine infertility and require health plans to cover assisted reproductive technologies including in vitro fertilization (IVF), sperm testing/deposits, cryopreservation, egg retrievals, and embryo transfers (as long as any such embryo transfers are single-embryo transfers as recommended by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)). This is the farthest any bill mandating fertility coverage equality has gotten in California to date.

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June 13, 2023
Read more about the article Genetic Bereavement: Managing Loss When Infertility Leaves You Unable to Carry a Genetic Child
Assisted Reproductive Technology / Egg and Sperm Donors / Embryo Donation / Genetic Bereavement / Genetic Grief / IFLG / Infertility / Intended Parents

Genetic Bereavement: Managing Loss When Infertility Leaves You Unable to Carry a Genetic Child

Genetic bereavement, the loss of being able to carry a genetic child, can be all consuming and managing that grief is essential. Worldwide, 17.5% of adults are affected by infertility, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), many of whom will find out during their fertility journey that their dreams of parenting a genetic child will never be fulfilled. While they may continue pursuing their dreams of parenthood via assisted reproductive technology (ART), they will need to use donor eggs, sperm, or embryos to create their families.

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May 23, 2023
Read more about the article Supporting Fertility in the Workplace
Fertility Treatment Benefits / Health Policy / IFLG / In Vitro Fertilization / Insurance / Reproductive Health Benefits / Rich Vaughn

Supporting Fertility in the Workplace

Infertility is described as a disease according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and while other diseases such as cancer and diabetes are covered by most employers under their health benefits packages, infertility treatment has taken a back seat. While it is no secret that an unsupported workforce lacks in performance, the added stress and anxiety of struggling with infertility have been shown to lead to employees’ loss of confidence, withdrawal, and even feeling the need to resign.

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March 28, 2023
Read more about the article Disparities Remain for Black Women Living with Infertility
Assisted Reproductive Technology / Biological Time Clock / Fertility Disparities in Black Women / Fertility Treatment / IFLG / Infertility / Racial Disparities in ART / Rich Vaughn

Disparities Remain for Black Women Living with Infertility

Although Black History Month is a time to highlight and celebrate achievements in the Black community, it is also a time to acknowledge where we have come from, as Americans…

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February 7, 2023