For many women, the path to motherhood is simple: sperm meets egg and fertilization occurs; the zygote divides, followed by implantation. However, for approximately 6.1 million women - 10% of the population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - getting pregnant is not that easy. While the causes may be related to ovulation, the womb itself, fertilization, or implantation, the results are the same: heartbreaking infertility. While infertility used to be considered a subject best left for behind closed doors, it has become an increasingly public topic - perhaps most changed because of the internet and the rise of infertility blogs. Still, when celebrities like The Talk’s Aisha Tyler speak openly about their own struggles with infertility, it not only helps raise awareness and promotes valuable information exchange, but also brings people together in a community of understanding.
Tyler’s public confession occurred earlier this month on an episode of The Talk, during which she revealed that she and her husband of over 20 years, attorney Jeff Tietjens, had recently made the difficult decision to stop a physically and emotionally exhausting two-year struggle to conceive. Tyler grew increasingly teary as she discussed what a great father her husband would be, but that because their chances for success were so low, “it wasn’t worth it.”
After months of trying, the diagnosis of a tortuous fallopian tube, and several failed in vitro fertilization attempts, straight talk from the doctor ultimately precipitated their decision: “Look,” he said, “based on what we’re seeing here, I just don’t think this is going to happen for you.” Tyler went on to say that while she loves “the idea of adoption,” she needs time to heal before considering other options.
Tyler joins a list of celebrities who have gone public with their personal infertility issues, including Mariah Carey, Khloe Kardashian, Elizabeth Banks, Giuliana Rancic, Celine Dion, Nicole Kidman, Naomi Campbell, and Courtney Cox. Infertility can happen to anyone, and grief is a real and natural part of the process. In raising public awareness on the subject, celebrities like Aisha Tyler help millions of women suffering in silence know that they aren’t alone.
