National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW) is here! NIAW was founded by RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, serving to empower others to spread awareness and fight misinformation about infertility. (Feel free to read more about NIAW here.) If you believe NIAW is important (it is!) and want to further amplify its message and impact across your community, I’ve come up with ten ways to do so:
Read People’s Stories
Taking the time to educate yourself on infertility is a great first step to celebrating NIAW. By listening to others’ stories, you can broaden your perspective and understanding of the topic, making you better informed and equipped to educate others! There are a number of places online where you can read real people’s stories.
Listen to Infertility Podcasts
If reading isn’t your cup of tea, don’t worry! So many podcasts have launched talking about fertility, so that you listen and learn as you are running errands or getting around from place to place. Infertile AF is a great one that centers around Ali Prato, who is a mom of two and experienced IVF herself, as she interviews women and men on their stories and TTC journeys. (Interested in finding more infertility podcasts? Check out this article!)
Share Your Own Story
Although it may feel scary, sharing your own story to others can be a very impactful way to contribute to NIAW. Whether it is to an audience of 100 or just one person, your personal experiences have the ability to help educate others on this extremely important topic. This could manifest itself as an Instagram post or a single conversation - whatever you feel comfortable with!
Wear Orange
Orange is the official color of the NIAW movement, so sport it! Break out your orange shirts, socks, nail polish, ribbon, whatever you got! Wearing orange can help spark conversations about infertility and show your commitment to the cause.
Participate in an Awareness Event
There are some amazing events happening in honor of NIAW. Even if there aren't many available in your physical area, you can find many virtual opportunities online. Many webinars surrounding infertility are scheduled that you watch from the comfort of your home!
Promote on Social Media
Believe it or not, social media is one of the most powerful tools to spread awareness. Repost, tag your friends and followers, or even create your own effective educational posts. Don’t forget to use #NIAW2023 and #FindYourVoice!
Join or Host a DIY Walk of Hope
A DIY Walk of Hope gathers people in a community to come together, share stories, make donations, and walk for infertility. You can search for existing ones in your area and learn how to host one here.
Donate to the Cause
A financial contribution is another amazing way to celebrate NIAW. RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association is a national patient advocacy organization that empowers everyone in their TTC journey with education, advocacy, and community. A donation of any size goes directly to supporting this mission, and you can contribute here.
Support Your Loved Ones
NIAW is a great time to remember to offer love and support to friends and family who may be struggling with infertility and encourage others to do the same. Even sending a single text could make a huge difference. Better yet, set a reminder for every couple of weeks or months, or even on holidays like Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day, to check in on people you care about in their TTC journeys.
Attend Virtual Advocacy Day!
Advocacy Day is hosted by RESOLVE, where the infertility community unites to talk to Congress about important infertility-related issues, such as increased access to family building financial relief. This year, Advocacy Day is on April 25, 2023, and you can learn more about it as well as register here.
There you have it: ten completely different ways to support National Infertility Awareness Week this year. I hope you found this helpful, and more importantly, decide to contribute to NIAW! Don’t forget to share this with your friends, family, coworkers, or really anyone and everyone, so that NIAW’s impact this year can reach the most people possible!
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