Senate Resolution No. 3269

BY: Senator HANNON

MEMORIALIZING Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim
April 22-28, 2018, as Infertility Awareness Week in
the State of New York

WHEREAS, The State of New York takes great pride in recognizing
official weeks established to increase awareness of serious issues that
affect the lives of all New Yorkers; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to memorialize
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim April 22-28, 2018, as Infertility
Awareness Week in the State of New York, in conjunction with the
observation of National Infertility Awareness Week; and

WHEREAS, According to the CDC, 15% of couples in America experience
infertility; infertility does not discriminate based on race, religion,
sexuality or economic status; and

WHEREAS, In the past, infertility was commonly considered to be
solely a female problem; it is now recognized that a couple's
infertility is just as likely to stem from problems in the male partner;
and

WHEREAS, After couples with infertility undergo testing, about 40%
of the cases are found to stem from female factors and another 40% from
male factors; in 10% of couples, infertility factors are found in both
the man and woman; and

WHEREAS, About 6% of married women aged 15-44 years in the United
States are unable to get pregnant after one year of trying; about 12% of
women aged 15-44 years in the United States have difficulty getting
pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term; and

WHEREAS, Infertility may be caused by a myriad of factors including
genetic abnormalities, aging, acute and chronic diseases, treatments for
certain conditions, behavioral factors, and exposure to environmental,
occupational, and infectious agents; and

WHEREAS, Infertility can be treated with medicine, surgery,
intrauterine insemination, or assisted reproductive technology; doctors
recommend specific treatments for infertility on the basis of the
factors contributing to the infertility; the duration of the
infertility; the age of the woman; and the couple's treatment preference
after counseling about success rates, risks, and benefits of each
treatment option; and

WHEREAS, Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) includes all
fertility treatments in which both eggs and embryos are handled outside
of the body; in general, ART procedures involve removing mature eggs
from a woman's ovaries using a needle, combining the eggs with sperm in
the laboratory, and returning the embryos to the woman's body or
donating them to another woman; the main type of ART is in vitro
fertilization (IVF); and

WHEREAS, Infertility is much more than just a medical condition; for
many people, hearing about a possible infertility diagnosis is
overwhelming; infertility can deplete your finances, affect your
personal relationships and have an impact on you or your partner's
emotional health; and

WHEREAS, Since the desire to have one's own biological children can
be strong and compelling, the effects of infertility for individuals or
couples who are unable to conceive can be devastating; now, therefore,
be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim April 22-28, 2018, as
Infertility Awareness Week in the State of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of
New York.