As a leader this topic is dear to my heart, partially because the statistics of women dealing with this. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in an article dated 2002 here are the stats:
Number of women ages 15-44 with impaired fecundity (impaired ability to have children): 7.3 million
Percent of women ages 15-44 with impaired fecundity: 11.8%
Number of married women ages 15-44 that are infertile (unable to get pregnant for at least 12 consecutive months): 2.1 million
Percent of married women ages 15-44 that are infertile: 7.4%
Number of women ages 15-44 who have ever used infertility services: 7.3 million
Source: Fertility, Family Planning, and Reproductive Health of U.S. Women: Data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, tables 67, 69, 97
But another reason it’s dear to my heart is my own personal experience with the issue. I remember the pain of wanting to be a mom so desperately and the years of wait until the Lord gave us precious twin baby girls through adoption.
As a leader, we need to be equipped to help women dealing with infertility. Recently, Terri Stovall wrote an article for Baptist Press and shared her personal journey in her article Infertility-where grief meets grace. I highly suggest you read this article and glean ideas for how to help women in your church who is experiencing infertility. The high number of women in this category makes it an issue we must address and an open door to reaching hurting women.
Resources:
Women Reaching Women in Crisis, Lifeway Women Webcast
Five things you must know about women facing infertility by Kerry Anthony
Women Reaching Women in Crisis book
Transformed Lives
A Trusted Friend
Women Reaching Women
Shepherding Women in Pain, Bev Hislop
I will Carry You, Angie Smith
Infertility: A Survival Guide for Couple and Those Who Love Them, Cindy Lewis Dake
When Empty Arms Become a Heavy Burden, Sandra Glahn & William Cutrer, M.D.
Water From the Rock: Finding God’s Comfort in the Midst of Infertility, Donna Gibbs, Becky Garrett, Phyllis Radon
Past webposts: Mother’s Day When You Are Not A Mom, Longing, Loss, Life: Ministering to Hurting Women, Longing & Loss, Longing & Loss