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Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Infertility in the news

Today's National Post had a special four-page section on Infertility Awareness Week in Canada and the IAAC. I'm not sure how long the link I'm posting will work, but there were some good stories in there. I was particularly tickled by "Choices that will bear fruit," which features one couple who decided to adopt -- and another who made the choice to live childfree. I remember that this particular couple was also featured in a Chatelaine magazine article that covered various aspects of infertility in the May 2007 (Mother's Day!! -- I was impressed!) issue. So nice to see the childfree option being given some consideration in the media.
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10 comments:

  1. ShinejilWednesday, May 21, 2008 12:12:00 PM

    It's so nice to have some more measured coverage than we usually see here in the States imho. Though it made me envious of Quebecois IF patients.

    And the journalist still wrote that one couple "implanted" three ova! Argh!

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  2. annacyclopediaWednesday, May 21, 2008 12:44:00 PM

    Loribeth - you are my one-woman news source! Thanks so much for posting this. It really is great to see these issues being given prominent placement in a national paper, and for the coverage to be more reasoned, sane, and free of judgement.

    We rarely read the national papers during the week, and on the weekend we usually opt for the Globe. This might make me pick up the Post more often.

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  3. AnonymousWednesday, May 21, 2008 4:00:00 PM

    Thanks for the links. So nice to see the prominent mention of childlessness after infertility.

    I was surprised by the high number of Canadian couples who said they would not consider adoption. Here in the US, so much lip service is paid to at least considering adoption. So many celeb interviews and even TTC message boards feature people saying, "I'd love to adopt" (very few of these people actually do adopt!). I have read about the very traumatic adoption stories of Canadian First Nations children; I wonder if that affects the legacy of adoption nationwide.

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  4. DeathstarThursday, May 22, 2008 12:20:00 AM

    I read both articles and put links to them on my blog. They were surpringly comprehensive and objective. Some of the comments that were made I could definitely relate to and it really got me thinking. Thanks so much!

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  5. Pamela T.Thursday, May 22, 2008 5:06:00 PM

    Loribeth: Thanks for sharing these links. Like others who've already noted this, I'm just so glad to read more balanced reporting. The path we're on is not an easy one so I'm reassured when I see that others have similar thoughts and emotions. Makes the journey less lonely, too. One of these days we'll all have to meet in person. Wouldn't that be something!?

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  6. KatieMcFriday, May 23, 2008 9:31:00 AM

    Wow, cool. Thanks for sharing!

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  7. JuliaSFriday, May 23, 2008 11:57:00 PM

    Yay - its nice to see more information hitting the mainstream media.

    Hope you have a nice weekend.

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  8. lunaSaturday, May 24, 2008 12:50:00 PM

    thanks for sharing these articles. I agree the reporting stateside doesn't give the same objectivity or even coverage of the childfree path.

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  9. PhoebeMonday, May 26, 2008 1:35:00 PM

    That was really a well written article! Here's one quote from it that needs to be read again: "The biggest hurdle to overcome is gaining the ability to see that this is not the end of the world, that there are other options, and that each can provide a satisfying and rewarding future." Too bad there isn't more objective press in the US on living childfree.

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  10. loribethMonday, May 26, 2008 7:47:00 PM

    Thanks, everyone. I'm not sure two articles equals better coverage than in the States (but it's a start!!).

    Ellen, not sure why the numbers of people saying they won't consider adoption are so high. The Toronto Star did a series of articles a few years back about the long convoluted process of adopting a child through the Crown/Children's Aid Society (which is "free," or nominally so), & it certainly is discouraging. They give the biological parents/family every opportunity to reclaim the children, so the process can drag on for months or even years before the children are finally deemed available for adoption, and of course, so many people want infants. That said, we do know of a couple that lucked into adopting a seven-month-old girl through the Catholic Children's Aid Society (after almost two years on the waiting list before they were matched), with no "issues" to speak of... so it does happen!

    Re: First Nations children, since the scandals of the 1970s, most bands will not allow their children to be adopted by non-First Nations people. I understand why, but I also think they're eliminating a lot of good homes for a lot of children this way.

    PJ: would love to meet anytime I make it to SF, or you're in Toronto!!

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