(NewsReady.com) – LGBTQ+ issues have been at the forefront of political conversations about social issues. Now, a powerful reproductive organization has redefined a word to help same-sex couples who want to have babies.
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) has long defined “infertility” as an issue when a woman and a man have unprotected sex for a year and don’t produce a pregnancy. Now, the organization has announced a more inclusive definition that could help LGBTQ+ couples.
According to an ASRM press release, “infertility” is now characterized by one of the following:
- People who have regular, unprotected sex and the woman doesn’t get pregnant after 12 months if the woman is under 35. If the woman is over 35, then the time is reduced to six months.
- When there’s a need for medical interventions like using a donor “either as an individual or with a partner.”
- When a person is unable to get pregnant because of a factor relating to their sexual, medical, age, diagnostic testing, and/or reproductive history.
ASRM also explicitly stated that it didn’t want its new definition to “deny or delay treatment to any individual,” no matter what their sexual orientation or relationship status is. ASRM CEO Jared Robins stated that the new definition means that everyone “deserve[s] equal access to reproductive medicine,” no matter who they are in a relationship with or if they are single. He explained that it’s an “inclusive definition” that seeks to help anyone who wants to “build a family has equitable access to infertility treatment and care.”
Sean Tipton, the ASRM spokesperson, told Axios that single people and those in same-sex relationships have had a very difficult time getting access to care, and “it became clear that [ASRM needed] to explicitly address that.”
Experts are calling the new definition a “huge win” for fertility because people won’t have to “prove” their fertility status any longer before they can receive help.
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