Click to enlargeI couldn’t let the end of the week go without posting in honour of the incredible science that is IVF, which celebrated its 41st birthday yesterday and has helped deliver over 8 million babies into the world The struggle that so many people have to face to be able to have a child is often not spoken about, being kept behind closed doors, steeped in stigma and shame for far too long. But the tide is slowly turning and in the week that celebrated the inception of a science that was invented to offer hope and which redefined and revolutionised the route to motherhood, 3 amazing women in the public eye have helped draw attention to this important conversation with the happy news that they are all expecting.
As a medical professional in this field, I am so grateful to @natalie_imbruglia @annehathaway and @rosanna_davison who are trailblazing and opening up the conversation around the many issues women may face to become mothers, and in doing so are inspiring countless people in being able to feel less alone in their own personal quest or struggle.
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[/column]Whatever route and whatever choice a man or woman makes to become a parent, we must realise that the path is often complex and afflicted with emotional challenges. The commonality of this experience is what makes us human and we must support and make any technologies that allow this to be a possibility available to all and not just the few. This is why techniques such as IVF were developed in the first place, in the hope of helping everyone have a family. I love my job and the fact that it gets to transform people’s lives. But it makes me sad and upset to know how inaccessible treatment is to many, leading to so much heartache and sorrow.
It’s time treatment was available to everyone who needs it, much like any other medical intervention and we stop the silence and judgement around different routes to parenthood. Discussions around conception should not be a rarity but a normal part of life where we show the best of our humanity in supporting, caring and providing for others.
