"I left clinic in tears after being shamed for my weight": Southam woman behind campaign to end fertility discrimination
A Southam woman has launched a campaign to end fertility discrimination after leaving a clinic heartbroken and in tears – because of her weight.
Grace Howells, 31, who has Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), said she felt “shamed” for her BMI.
The hormonal disorder can make it difficult to conceive and lose weight.
She has now launched a petition to help other couples who are going through the journey.
Grace said: “PCOS has always been difficult. Even pre-diagnosis as a teen, not knowing what was wrong with me was tough.
"I was lucky and I got diagnosed at the age of 18. Finally my struggles began to make sense.”
She said nothing could prepare her for the emotional rollacoster ride of fertility treatment.
"My partner Dan and I began our fertility treatment after trying naturally to no avail and a cancer scare last Christmas,” Grace went on.
The couple decided to go privately due to long waiting lists.
Grace said: “I felt shamed for my BMI and left the clinic in tears and without any healthcare professional support. This is not OK.
"I am making as many changes as I can do to fit their criteria. However, my PCOS condition makes this very difficult.”
She said it’s the uncertainty that hurts most.
"Every time someone asks if I have children, my heart sinks,” Grace said.
“I’ve learned to mask the ache with a smile and say ‘just fur babies for now’.
“The hardest part is the not knowing if the waiting, the heartbreak, the hope will ever lead to the family I dream of,” Grace added.
Since launching the petition, Grace has been contacted by many other couples in the same boat.
"Their stories are heartbreaking,” she said.
"I am a part of many online support groups which help me feel less alone; it can be a very isolating journey. Everyone around you appears to have an easy ride. I know this isn't the case but it appears that way when you going through it.
"The support they need just isn’t there—not in a system stretched thin, and certainly not when BMI becomes yet another barrier.
“There are already too many obstacles. Let’s remove this one.”
For more information on the petition, visit https://www.change.org/p/outdated-and-unfair-call-for-an-ivf-policy-revolution-and-end-bmi-based-discrimination