I’ve been a health journalist for 14 years, and I’ve covered topics ranging from breast cancer and autoimmune diseases to depression and eating disorders. I always feel like I’ve “seen it all” as they say, and yet I’m still repeatedly shocked by certain medical issues that people face today. One that I recently came across really took me by surprise.

I was surfing through various health sites as I often do, and I came across a statement on RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association that intrigued me. It was:  “People with infertility are being ignored.” I went on to watch a video message from Barbara Collura, excutive director of RESOLVE, where she explains that people with infertility (a whopping 1-in-8 couples) are being ignored by doctors, insurance companies, the media, and even by their own family and friends.

Why is this happening? One of the main reasons is that people with infertility just don’t talk about it. They are going through such emotional turmoil and they’re experiencing so much pain that they choose to suffer in silence.

However, their silence is having major ramifications on the health care that’s available to them, as discussed in a recent Self article by Jennifer Wolff Perrine. I encourage you to read this article and learn about the state of infertility today. For instance, in 2009, the World Health Organization defined infertility as a disease. And yet, many people still consider it a lifestyle choice, one that doesn’t deserve the attention, the funding, or the support of “true” illnesses like cancer, AIDS, or heart disease.

Read the article, visit RESOLVE’s website to learn more about this issue, and let me know what you think. I, for one, know far too many people who have suffered from infertility. Their stories are heartbreaking. Their pain is real.

Infertility needs to be something we talk about. And we all must listen!