Infertility sucks. Plain and simple.

It’s crazy that we’re finally starting to talk about infertility more—more awareness, more conversation—yet for so many people, access to care still depends on where you live, where you work, and what your insurance decides to cover.

Because it’s not so black and white.

Just because your employer offers insurance that includes infertility coverage doesn’t mean IVF is included. And for most people, it isn’t.

Some states have laws around fertility coverage—about 20 to 25 plus D.C.—but only around 15 actually require IVF coverage. And even then, it’s not always straightforward.

So people pay out of pocket.

A single IVF cycle can cost anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000—and that’s with no guarantee it will work. And most people need more than one.

I know this firsthand.

Our insurance covers none of it. And like so many others going through infertility, we’ve had to figure out how to make it work—sometimes that means loans, sometimes it means hard decisions, and sometimes it just means hoping you can keep going.

And then you look at other places, like parts of Europe, where infertility is treated as a public health issue—not a private luxury.

Which makes you wonder… why isn’t it treated that way here?

It’s hard enough to find out you have to go down this path—one that is mentally and physically exhausting.

But then there’s the other part…
figuring out how to pay for it.

And eventually, for some people, making the decision to stop—not because you want to, but because the “well” has run dry.

We stopped because it became too expensive.

And that’s the part that’s hardest to say out loud.

Because if it were up to me, I would put my body through 100 more cycles if it meant having a baby at the end.

But that’s not our reality.

Even with more awareness—more employers offering benefits, more states passing laws—access to care is still uneven and limited.

And it shouldn’t be this way.

No one should have to put a price tag on whether or not they get to grow their family.
And right now, too many people still do.