A Sobering Reality

At the top of the Fertility for Colored Girls website, you are faced with sobering statistics. Infertility affects 12% of all women up to age 44, but research suggests that Black women are 2x more likely to experience infertility than white women. And that’s not all. Compared with 15% of white women, only 8% of Black women between the ages of 25-44 seek medical help to get pregnant.

And these simple facts don’t take into consideration the everyday systemic racism that Black women face from the medical community and our culture at large. They are “underrepresented in datasets and have worse health outcomes,” according to Dr. Piraye Beim, Ph.D., founder at endofound.org. As she emphatically states, “ We HAVE to do better.” And Fertility for Colored Girls is committed to helping fight that fight and actively working every day to do better.

Hope for colored girls

Fertility for Colored Girls fights infertility and gives hope through a variety of programs and events that increase awareness and offer comprehensive education to “help women of color make healthy decisions regarding reproductive health, infertility and having a family.” They also provide grants for infertile families as well as support their community through fertility ministries and sister circles, where groups can gather to inspire productive dialogue around reproductive health and fertility.

Founded by Rev. Dr. Stacey L. Edwards-Dunn, an ordained minister of the Gospel, certified life coach, and experienced teacher, she has committed her career to reproductive health education to inform and empower those struggling with infertility and making the right decisions about their reproductive health as they seek to build their families.

Experts from all aspects of the industry including attorneys, medical professionals, adoption, donor, and surrogacy agencies, as well as integrative medicine and health coaches give their time and energy to help educate at these programs and events. They also feature women telling their stories of how they have been able to build their families through alternative avenues like adoption and surrogacy. Visit their upcoming events schedule on their website.

Doing our part

Fertility for Colored Girls has been one of our partners from the very beginning, and we are always seeking ways to support them and their movement. We sponsor a Fertility for Colored Girls family each year, working pro bono and raising the funds to cover all their expenses during the surrogacy journey. It is our privilege to work with such an inspiring organization, and we look forward to a long partnership together.

Get involved or donate to Fertility for Colored Girls at fertilityforcoloredgirls.org, follow them on Instagram at @ffcghope, and learn more about the disparities in the medical treatment of Black women at endfound.org.