Title: Recognizing that infertility is a widespread problem that affects populations of diverse ages, races, ethnicities, and genders.
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This resolution recognizes the need for education, research, and medical interventions to address infertility and disparities associated with that disease.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 338 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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 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 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 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;
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 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
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes--
            (1) that infertility is a disease;
            (2) that the United States Government has a responsibility 
        to help examine, create, and implement solutions to address and 
        alleviate the problems associated with the disease;
            (3) the growing racial, ethnic, and income-based 
        disparities associated with access to education and awareness, 
        screenings, treatments, and procedures;
            (4) the importance of raising awareness and improving 
        education about infertility, disabling side effects, associated 
        mental health issues, and preservation options that will help 
        people make educated decisions about family building, whether 
        through medical intervention, adoption, or deciding not to have 
        children;
            (5) the need for encouraging research that will improve 
        infertility treatments and outcomes and fertility preservation 
        technologies;
            (6) the importance of necessary oversight of government 
        agencies involved in research and data collection related to 
        infertility prevalence, treatments, outcomes, and fertility 
        preservation technologies, and working to ensure the 
        consistency of data and information-sharing across government 
        agencies; and
            (7) a duty of the Federal Government to ensure the 
        availability of infertility-related services to all individuals 
        and families without barriers such as access, cost, and 
        coverage.
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