IVF and Trump: The Orchestrated Chaos Continues

Oy. I’d say the headline was almost comical if it wasn’t the start of the end of the world. OK, I’m being dramatic, but it’s hard not to think about Charles Dickens’ quote in A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

As a mother, I have two beautiful kids, who (mostly) remind me of the good and joy in the world every day. But as someone who struggled with fertility during the pandemic and racial uprisings (and has been vocal and open about my experiences, especially as a black woman), I can’t help but hurt for folks who are trying to conceive during these times. The news cycle feels neverending; my anxiety is constantly on high, and it feels like the world is spinning out of control. At the same time, this time, the dramatic and hectic place we’re in feels much more intentional, and while it often seems like no one knows what is happening, at the same time, it feels like they know exactly what they’re doing- a sort of orchestrated chaos.  

For someone struggling with infertility, the feelings may be familiar yet unwelcome. Infertility is kind of an orchestrated chaos since so much of what is going on feels out of control and is out of your control, while at the same time, it’s all mapped out to the tiniest of details. You can follow every step, but you’re never quite sure how it will all end up. All you can do is hold your head up, keep going, and get through every day as best you can.

I wish I had some more concrete advice. When I wrote about what this election meant for fertility, I knew the following days would be rough, but didn’t expect it would be so much within the first….two months. But we’re here, and all we can do is get through it and hope for a better world. I’ve been working on launching our Oshun Griot app and enjoying lighter skies at the end of the day, a sign that, in the words of my all-time favorite, Lauryn Hill, “After winter must come spring. Change, it comes eventually.”

What Does Trump’s Executive Order on IVF Really Mean for Black Women and POC?

As usual, it has been a week. 

Last week, the Trump administration made headlines after the President signed an executive order to explore ways to lower IVF costs and increase its accessibility. The order calls for “policy recommendations to protect IVF access and aggressively reduce out-of-pocket and health plan costs for such treatments” to aid the one in seven families who may need fertility treatments. Currently, they say, costs for these treatments range from $12,000 to $25,000 per cycle, and many families require more than one cycle to achieve their goals. Additionally, the order directs his Domestic Policy Council to examine laws that “exacerbate the cost of IVF treatments.” The findings are expected to be delivered to the president within the next 90 days.