IV 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 338 
Recognizing that infertility is a widespread problem that affects populations 
of diverse ages, races, ethnicities, and genders. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 20, 2021 
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 Associa-
tion, 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 per-
son’s inability to reproduce either as a single individual 
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or with their partner without medical intervention, or de-
termined 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 substan-
tial number of Americans, and data from the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention show that about 12 per-
cent of women in the United States have difficulty get-
ting 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 un-
fortunately widely pervade the United States health care 
system; 
Whereas Blacks, Hispanics, Ashkenazi Jews, American Indi-
ans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Is-
landers, 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 fer-
tility in Hispanics dropping 18.78 percent from 2008 to 
2016, and fertility in American Indians and Alaska Na-
tives dropping 15.1 percent during the same period; 
Whereas veterans who have suffered traumatic physical in-
jury, post-traumatic stress disorder, or other physical or 
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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 treat-
ments, medications, gamete aging and decreased con-
centration, 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 treat-
ment, 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, exces-
sive physical or emotional stress, or other conditions like 
diabetes that result in amenorrhea (absent periods), use 
of marijuana, exposure to certain medications, and expo-
sure to environmental toxins; 
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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 self- 
esteem; 
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 treat-
ment for infertility, presenting a barrier to health care 
and better health outcomes, and these factors dispropor-
tionately impact minority and lower income individuals; 
and 
Whereas 37 percent of White Americans report they have un-
dergone fertility treatment or know someone who has, 
which is significantly higher than 22 percent of Black 
Americans and 26 percent of Hispanic Americans who re-
port the same: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives recog-
nizes— 
(1) that infertility is a disease; 
(2) that the United States Government has a 
responsibility to help examine, create, and imple-
ment solutions to address and alleviate the problems 
associated with the disease; 
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