IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 345 

Recognizing that infertility is a widespread problem that affects populations 

of diverse ages, races, ethnicities, and genders. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 28, 2023 

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (for herself and Mr. CRENSHAW) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 

Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing that infertility is a widespread problem that 

affects populations of diverse ages, races, ethnicities, and 

genders. 

Whereas infertility is a disease recognized by the World 

Health Organization and the American Medical Association, and, according to the National Institutes of Health 

(NIH), ‘‘a term used to describe the inability of a couple 

to get pregnant or the inability of a woman to carry a 

pregnancy to term’’, and ‘‘defined clinically as not being 

able to achieve pregnancy after 1 year of having regular, 

unprotected intercourse, or after 6 months if the woman 

is older than 35 years of age’’; 

Whereas infertility may also be determined based on a person’s inability to reproduce either as a single individual 


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•HRES 345 IH 

or with their partner without medical intervention, or determined by a licensed physician’s findings based on a 

patient’s medical, sexual, and reproductive history, age, 

physical findings, or diagnostic testing; 

Whereas reproductive and infertility issues affect a substantial number of Americans, and data from the Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention show that about 12 percent of women in the United States have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant and 9 percent of men 

experience infertility; 

Whereas, according to the NIH, there are clear racial and 

ethnic disparities in infertility prevalence, and such racial 

disparities are not unique to reproductive issues and unfortunately widely pervade the United States health care 

system; 

Whereas Blacks, Hispanics, Ashkenazi Jews, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, East Asians, Indians and Pakistanis from the 

Punjab region, and persons of Caribbean, Mediterranean, 

French Canadian, or Middle Eastern ancestry suffer 

from disproportionately higher rates of certain diseases 

and gynecological, endocrine, and autoimmune disorders, 

that may contribute to higher rates of infertility among 

these populations; 

Whereas Hispanics, American Indians, and Alaska Natives 

have experienced the most significant change, with fertility in Hispanics dropping 18.78 percent from 2008 to 

2016, and fertility in American Indians and Alaska Natives dropping 15.1 percent during the same period; 

Whereas veterans who have suffered traumatic physical injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, or other physical or 


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•HRES 345 IH 

mental ailments can and do suffer from infertility, and 

data from the Department of Veterans Affairs show that 

15.8 percent of female veterans reported infertility (4 

percent higher than the female average) and 13.8 percent 

of male veterans reported infertility (4.8 percent higher 

than the male average); 

Whereas infertility can be caused by genetic conditions, birth 

defects, injury, environmental factors, medical treatments, medications, gamete aging and decreased concentration, viruses, disorders, or other diseases, or may 

be idiopathic; 

Whereas common causes of infertility are ovulation disorders, 

uterine or cervical abnormalities, fallopian tube damage 

or blockage, endometriosis, primary ovarian insufficiency 

(early menopause), pelvic adhesions, cancer and its treatment, abnormal sperm production or function, problems 

with the delivery of sperm, and overexposure to certain 

environmental factors; 

Whereas infertility disproportionately affects individuals with 

particular health complications, such as cancer, because 

patients must undergo treatments such as chemotherapy, 

radiation therapy, hormone therapy, or surgery that are 

likely to harm the reproductive system, organs, or 

gametes, and fertility preservation becomes medically 

necessary; 

Whereas the risk of infertility is increased by age, smoking, 

excessive alcohol use, extreme weight gain or loss, excessive physical or emotional stress, or other conditions like 

diabetes that result in amenorrhea (absent periods), use 

of marijuana, exposure to certain medications, and exposure to environmental toxins; 


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•HRES 345 IH 

Whereas infertility is a major life event which may bring 

about social and psychological problems, such as anger, 

depression, anxiety, marital problems, sexual dysfunction, 

social isolation, stigma, sense of loss, and diminished selfesteem; 

Whereas a Harvard University study shows that in about 1 

in 3 cases, both partners have had physiological problems 

during and after experiencing infertility; 

Whereas regulatory disparities and lack of access to health 

care specialists cause inequities in the financial burden 

carried by people who seek diagnostic testing and treatment for infertility, presenting a barrier to health care 

and better health outcomes, and these factors disproportionately impact minority and lower income individuals; 

and 

Whereas 37 percent of White Americans report they have undergone fertility treatment or know someone who has, 

which is significantly higher than 22 percent of Black 

Americans and 26 percent of Hispanic Americans who report the same: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives recog2 nizes— 

3 (1) that infertility is a disease; 

4 (2) that the United States Government has a 

5 responsibility to help examine, create, and imple6 ment solutions to address and alleviate the problems 

7 associated with the disease; 


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•HRES 345 IH 

1 (3) the growing racial, ethnic, and income-based 

2 disparities associated with access to education and 

3 awareness, screenings, treatments, and procedures; 

4 (4) the importance of raising awareness and im5 proving education about infertility, disabling side ef6 fects, associated mental health issues, and preserva7 tion options that will help people make educated de8 cisions about family building, whether through med9 ical intervention, adoption, or deciding not to have 

10 children; 

11 (5) the need for encouraging research that will 

12 improve infertility treatments and outcomes and fer13 tility preservation technologies; 

14 (6) the importance of necessary oversight of 

15 government agencies involved in research and data 

16 collection related to infertility prevalence, treat17 ments, outcomes, and fertility preservation tech18 nologies, and working to ensure the consistency of 

19 data and information-sharing across government 

20 agencies; and 

21 (7) a duty of the Federal Government to ensure 

22 the availability of infertility-related services to all in23 dividuals and families without barriers such as ac24 cess, cost, and coverage. 

Æ 


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