Editor’s Note: I researched and wrote this piece, As dark side of IVF slowly comes into focus, even more transparency is needed, to coincide with the 40th anniversary of IVF. My thanks to the editorial team at STAT, the Boston Globe Media health site for publishing it.

Excerpt:

I was 15 in 1978 when Louise Joy Brown’s birth captured the world’s attention. Still new to monthly menstrual cycles, I had just begun to believe that one day my womb would be at the center of human creation. It was a wonderful dream while it lasted.

Two decades later, I sat nervously in my ob-gyn’s exam room covered only by a paper gown. No one could tell me why I hadn’t been able to get pregnant, so I was preparing to turn to the bright promise of in vitro fertilization (IVF).

I didn’t know then that it would become a frustrating, fruitless, and expensive odyssey. Nor did I know anything about the dark side of IVF and assisted reproduction, a highly profitable industry that operates largely under the radar of regulators.

>>>Please read the full piece on STAT

[bctt tweet=”“Better oversight, stronger patient safeguards—including more compassionate care for those coping with failed IVF cycles—and more transparency about the risks and limitations of assisted reproductive technology are needed,” writes ⁦@PamelaJeanne⁩.” username=”SilentSorority”]

Dark Side of IVF – Your Stories

Because of your willingness to convey your stories you are making a difference in the lives of many. That’s true here as well as from the essays on our sister website, ReproTechTruths.  You bring greater clarity to what has long been a one-dimensional portrayal of IVF and its impacts.

If you would like to participate in our #UnmaskingIVF campaign, please email me: ptsigdinos (@) yahoo [dot] com.  Your voices can go a long way to helping other women and men understand the full effects of IVF. (Thank you to all who have bravely imparted your experiences.)

Appreciate, as always, your comments and shares.