One in six Canadians face infertility issues, according to Statistics Canada.
Those that know the struggle too well, including Jon Waldman of Fertility Matters Canada, are working to offer support to others and raise awareness.
“It took my wife and I six years to conceive; we also had a miscarriage along the way,” Waldman said.
After feeling they were not making much progress in Winnipeg, Jon and his wife found a clinic in Victoria, B.C. where they got a better understanding of their struggle to have a baby.
Now, Waldman and his wife have a 3.5-year-old daughter.
Waldman, along with others with Fertility Matters are hoping resources can become more readily available.
“There’s certainly the need for more clinics. Another major concern is the cost too. You could be paying between $10,000 and $15,000 for treatments,” said Waldman.
“Some health insurances could help cover it, if it’s worded carefully in a lot of cases, but Fertility Matters is looking to have all health insurances help better cover the costs of IVF procedures,” added Waldman.
Currently, four provinces, including Manitoba, offer some kind of financial assistance with the IVF procedures. Manitoba provides a tax credit that covers about 40 per cent of the costs if done by a Manitoba licensed medical practitioner or infertility treatment clinic.
Waldman says there are monthly support groups available to everyone to ensure no one is facing these issues alone.
To find out more about the support groups and more educational resources, click here.
WATCH: Infertility Awareness Week
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