THIS IS INFERTILITY: IVF in the 90's vs Today (Featuring "Yours Truly")

This is Infertility is a bi-weekly podcast that fuses narrative storytelling with experience and science to give listeners a new perspective on what it’s really like to go through a family building journey. Each episode dives into the emotional, physical, and financial burdens carried by those who experience infertility on their path to parenthood. Be it IVF, IUI, egg freezing, surrogacy, adoption, etc., the path is never the same and it can be long, painful, and lonely. It’s Progyny’s mission to give those struggling a platform to be heard, a community connection, and an opportunity to raise awareness of the 1 in 8 who, for many reasons, struggle with infertility.

Recently I was interviewed by Lissa Kline, VP of Member and Provider Service at Progyny for their This Is Infertility podcast. Lissa was interested in knowing what has changed and what has remained the same for those using IVF to try to build their families. I love how my story is woven with the narrative of Dr. Alan Copperman, Medical Director at Progyny. Dr. Copperman provides the medical and scientific perspective on the developments and changes in advanced reproductive technologies ( in particular, IVF) in the past two decades. As I share my story, one will realize, although there are drastic differences in IVF today and when I did it two decades ago, the emotional, physical and financial toll is still the same.

Infertility is already hard and complex, even with the advanced medicine and technology we have today, but imagine trying over 20 years ago, when commonplace protocols were still being developed. The first baby born via IVF is only 42 years old, and a lot has happened since then.

In episode 79 of the This is Infertility podcast, I am featured to highlight the evolution of IVF over the last 42 years. You will learn how the challenges of the ‘80s and ‘90s led to technological advancements and the carefully curated protocols used in fertility clinics today.

I hope that as you listen to the podcast, you will find it enlightening, informative and inspirational.

I’d like to give a special shout out to Lissa Kline and Dr. Alan Copperman. I truly appreciate the opportunity you provided for me to share my story and raise awareness about the impacts of infertility on those who struggle to build their families.

Lissa Kline, LCSW, VP of Member and Provider Services at Progyny

HOST

Lissa oversees the Patient Care Advocates and the Provider Relations Team. She worked at Columbia University Medical Center for several years in the division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Involved in Patient Services and the Donor Egg Program, she loved working with patients while they underwent fertility treatment. Lissa graduated with a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University. 

Dr. Alan Copperman, Medical Director at Progyny

Dr. Alan Copperman is a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist with a long history of success in treating infertility and applying fertility preservation technologies. He serves as Medical Director of Progyny, a leading fertility benefits management company, and co-founded and serves as Medical Director of RMA of New York, one of the largest and most prestigious IVF centers in the country. Dr. Copperman is also the Vice Chairman and Director of Infertility for the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Chief Medical Officer of Sema4, a health information company. Dr. Copperman has been named to New York magazine’s list of Best Doctors 18 years in a row. He has been recognized by his peers and patient advocacy organizations for his commitment to patient-focused and data-driven care. He has published more than 100 original manuscripts and book chapters on reproductive medicine and has co-authored over 400 scientific abstracts on infertility, in vitro fertilization, egg freezing, ovum donation, and reproductive genetics.