The Missing Conversation: Feminism, Fertility Literacy, and Inclusive Pathways to Parenthood

In this NWSA webinar, The Missing Conversation: Feminism, Fertility Literacy, and Inclusive Pathways to Parenthood, I share the personal story behind my work, my advocacy, and the landmark case Bergeron v. Saunders. For much of my life, I believed what many women are taught to believe: build the career, become independent, avoid pregnancy until you are ready, and everything will work out when the time comes. But my own 10-year journey through infertility, IVF, pregnancy loss, medical trauma, single motherhood by choice, and a landmark custody battle taught me that there are critical conversations we are still not having. We talk about sex education, but not fertility education. We talk about women pursuing careers, but not how biology, age, medical access, and family planning collide in real life. We talk about reproductive choice, but often ignore the complicated realities faced by women who desperately want children and still find themselves in the middle of abortion laws, medical bias, financial barriers, and legal systems built around outdated ideas of family. This conversation is deeply personal, but it is also bigger than me. It is about what hopeful parents, students, educators, advocates, and institutions need to understand so that future generations are better informed, better protected, and better supported. Thank you to the National Women’s Studies Association for partnering with me on this important discussion and for creating space for a conversation that too many families are forced to discover the hard way. Learn more about NWSA here: https://www.nwsa.org/home Featuring: Courtney Carroll, Kristian Contreras, and the National Women’s Studies Association Timestamps: 00:00 - Welcome and NWSA Introduction 06:23 - Why This Conversation Matters 09:18 - The Fertility Clinic Moment That Changed Everything 12:19 - Feminism, Career Ambition, and the Missing Information 18:43 - Why Sex Education Is Not Fertility Education 21:29 - The Infertility Epidemic and Emotional Toll 24:03 - Egg Donation, Pregnancy Loss, and Reproductive Choice 29:30 - High-Risk Pregnancy, Genetic Testing, and Medical Bias 36:50 - Bergeron v. Saunders and the Fight to Protect My Family 42:44 - Cheri’s Choice and the Call for Better Fertility Education 48:51 - Q&A: Psychological Fatherhood, Legal Risk, and Family Law