Even in 2022, fertility is often a taboo topic that many shy away from. At Genea, we want to break these barriers, open up the conversation and reshape how people think and talk about fertility and infertility.
That’s why we launched
The Fertility Tales, the first magazine of its kind in Australia. It’s a fertility specific magazine produced by AllBright and sponsored by Genea, to facilitate discussion around fertility, genetic testing and more.
Because of the reluctance to talk about IVF and fertility treatment, people often don’t feel that they can voice their realities and experiences of going through these journeys. But sharing these stories is important. There are many ways to make a baby and discussing how you got there can help normalise the topic. It also helps those that are struggling to get the help and support they need.
The Fertility Tales contains many moving stories about women who have struggled to conceive, advice on how to mentally and physically prepare for IVF, the importance of genetic testing, surrogacy, adoption, the loss of miscarriage and more.
Samantha Payne, CEO and Founder of
Pink Elephants, tells her story about multiple miscarriages and her treatment at the hospital she previously had given birth in. After her second miscarriage she “was angry, and that’s when I decided to channel some of that anger and energy into starting Pink Elephants, because I needed somewhere to put it.” Pink Elephants has a huge community of 7000 and provides resources, information and advice for anyone that has experienced pregnancy loss.
Rachael Casella’s first-born daughter, Mackenzie, passed away at seven months old in 2017. Since she passed, Rachael and her husband have been documenting Mackenzie’s Mission to raise awareness for spinal muscular atrophy or SMA, campaigning for access to genetic testing. This campaigning has led to a new policy, whereby families undergoing IVF can receive a Medicare rebate when screening their embryos for severe genetic conditions. In future pregnancies, Rachael screened for SMA, and after many losses, she then had her son, Izaac.
Fiona Falkiner and Hayley Willis, a same sex couple, went through IVF to have their child, Hunter. IVF can be a challenging and Hayley said it best “I think one thing you have to have is patience, because nothing happens overnight. It is a long process”. In
The Fertility Tales, Fiona and Hayley share how they went about conceiving Hunter.
These real-life experiences can help others navigate their own fertility journey; they make you feel less alone.
We’ve just released the first issue of
The Fertility Tales, that’s been distributed across a network of GP offices, Genea clinics, Hairdressers and more. You can order your own copy
here, for free.