Milwaukee, Wisc. – Oct. 2, 2023 – It is estimated that 1 in 4 women have had a miscarriage and over 172,000 people in Wisconsin are living with infertility. Many are unable to afford medically necessary fertility treatment. The ART of Infertility, a national arts organization, announces a month-long series of events at the North Shore Wellness Collective and Milwaukee Art Therapy Collective. The events aim to raise awareness about infertility through art and storytelling during the month of October which is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.
Individuals are infertile for a host of reasons: injury, wounds from combat, cancer, and other reproductive diseases like endometriosis. Infertility also impacts LGBTQ+ persons who want to create a family. Despite infertility’s wide impact on Wisconsinites, insurance coverage for infertility-related treatments remains sparse as Wisconsin is not a state mandating coverage. In Wisconsin, Dr. Ellen Hayes, a reproductive endocrinologist who works at clinic sites in Wisconsin and Illinois, notes the impact of these differing mandates on her patients in each state.
“The financial burden that fertility patients in Wisconsin face is significant and leads to many of them depleting their savings, working second jobs, or, heartbreakingly, stopping treatment before achieving success. I see the emotional impact and incredible stress on these patients in comparison to those I treat in Illinois. I have had patients relocate or take jobs out of state in order to gain fertility benefits that amount to tens of thousands of dollars they would otherwise pay for out of pocket. As moving out of state isn’t feasible for the majority of my patients, most that cannot afford treatment must simply give up on their dream of having a family.”
Emily Alesky, LCSW, PMH-C of ERA Wellness explained, “Our goal with developing this event series with the ART of Infertility was to raise awareness and a sense of community for those who have experienced fertility challenges. We want society to understand how common and difficult these situations are, and for people to know that they are not alone and are supported in their fertility journey. We see many clients, either individually or with their partners, who are considering or undergoing fertility treatments, have lost pregnancies or babies, or need to make difficult decisions about family building. We see you and we are here to help, either as treatment providers or just to hold space for your experience. We’re thrilled to be a part of this book launch and gallery installation, and to be partnering with such great organizations in raising awareness.”
Events at the North Shore Wellness Collective include the art exhibit, Infertilities, A Curation, which features artwork from the new book of the same name, published by Wayne State University Press.
Also scheduled are events for those with infertility, their friends and family members, and the public:
– Infertilities, A Curation exhibit opening reception on Friday, October 6th from 7 pm – 9 pm.
– Healing Embrace: A Fertility Yoga Journey on Thursday, October 12th from 6:30 pm – 8 pm.
– Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Quilt-Making Workshop on October 15th from 2 pm – 4 pm.
– An Evening of Reading and Conversation: Infertilities, A Curation, facilitated by Boswell Book Company and featuring artists and writers from Infertilities, A Curation.
The Milwaukee Art Therapy Collective will host The ART of Infertility Open Studio Series and offer art-making sessions on Wednesdays through October 25th.
Most events are free, and all are open to the public. A complete list of events, along with details and links to registration, is available at artofinfertility.org.
Sponsors and community partners of the events include Northshore Wellness Collective, ERA Wellness, Pelvic Health and Wellness, Milwaukee Art Therapy Collective, Orchid Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, The Fertility Clinic at Practice Longevity, Plumeria Acupuncture and Holistic Wellness Center, LLC, Building Families Alliance of WI, Moms Mental Health Initiative, Reproductive Justice Action Milwaukee, the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility providers at Medical College of Wisconsin, and Kindbody.
