- Cost of infertility services
- Access to infertility services
- Lack of education and awareness
- Shame and fear
- Lack of health care
- Lack of support
- Culture
In addition to lack of education and awareness, one of the leading causes of infertility among African American women is uterine fibroids. Many Black women struggle with the pain and distress of uterine fibroids, which sometimes leads them to the road of obtaining infertility services and often times seeking out procedures such as hysterectomies.
Dr. Seun Sowemimo is an obesity expert as well as a board certified bariatric and general surgeon. Dr. Sowemimo believes the many cases of infertility stem from obesity, an issues that affects 4 out of 5 African American women.
“At a certain weight your reproductive cycles will not work optimally. When you’re obese it can cause infertility. Obesity affects the body’s ability to menstruate. This can lead to polycystic ovary syndrome,” explained Dr. Sowemimo.
For couples and Black women in particular, Reverend Edwards-Dunn offers the following five tips to increase fertility:
- Be Proactive/Assertive: Get a comprehensive fertility examination to learn your fertility stastus. Know what questions to ask and understand your options. If you’re in your 20’s-30’s start inquiring now about how to prepare your body.
- Adopt a healthy diet. Eating a nutritional, fertility-boosting diet will help you build a strong foundation. No caffeine, no alcohol/drugs, cut out foods filled with preservatives, lots of whole grains, fruits and veggies, no fried foods and little sugar.
- Exercise/Weight Control
- Reduce Stress
- Yoga/Acupuncture
- Timing of intercourse (for some)
Fertility for Colored Girls provides a comprehensive set of services including educational programs, monthly support groups, counseling and their Hope It Forward Program, where they work with women/couples to donate unopened/unexpired medication to doctors offices for women/couples who we come in contact with who can’t afford the medications.
Their Gift of Hope Award: Family Building Fund provides up to $10,000 to give away at their annual fundraiser each year. Contact Fertility for Colored Girls about their upcoming fundraiser on August 6, 2016.
Follow their hashtag on Twitter #ffcghope and like their page on Facebook.
Fertility For Colored Girls: Bringing Hope To Black Families was originally published on blackdoctor.org
