Some couples have tried and tried to welcome a baby into the world, but it just won’t happen for some reason. Countless doctor visits, diet changes, prayer sessions and everything else under the sun have been used in attempt to get pregnant to no avail. The stress and self-doubt of being infertile can take a toll on the couple as a whole and individually.

READ: Black Infertility: Facts Every Couple Should Know

Fertility for Colored Girls was founded in March 2013 to provide education, awareness, support and encouragement to African American Women/Couples struggling with infertility and seeking to build the families of their dreams. Reverend Dr. Stacey L. Edwards-Dunn founded the organization because of her struggles with infertility. She encountered many black women/couples who were experiencing fertility challenges as well. Fertility for Colored Girls currently is located in five states where they offer monthly support groups: Chicago, Richmond, VA, DC, Atlanta and Detroit, MI. A group will launch in Memphis, TN on September 24, 2016.

Reverend Dr. Stacey L. Edwards-Dunn spoke to BlackDoctor.org about the challenges Black women face with fertility. A problem that she says no one wants to talk about.

“Infertility among African American women is not only a silent and hidden problem in the African American community, but one that continues to be on the rise. Matter of fact, many Black women live in shame because we don’t discuss issues of infertility in the Black community. Black women are considered baby-making machines and hyper-fertile; not infertile.”

According to Dr. Desiree McCarthy-Keith, a reproductive endocrinologist at Georgia Reproductive Specialists, research shows that among the 7.3 million women in the United States, approximately 11.5% of African American women experience a variety of infertility problems compared to 7% of white women.

Reverend Dr. Edwards-Dunn says that Black women don’t seek out help in spite of the alarming statistics surrounding this issues that affects a large number of our women.

READ: 3 Natural Ways To Fight Infertility

There are many reasons why African-American women fail to seek out infertility care. The following are a few examples of the challenges Black women face with fertility:

Join the conversation and share this story