Name: Fighting for Fertility
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Nova

What causes infertility, and how can assisted reproductive technologies help? Follow the journeys of people navigating fertility challenges from structural inequalities and racism to falling sperm counts, egg freezing, and IVF.

Meet people struggling with infertility and the challenges of assisted reproduction.

Fighting for Fertility Preview

At 39, Brigitte Adams became an early adopter of egg vitrification, a technology that can dramatically improve the preservation of a woman's eggs and, potentially, her future fertility.
Here’s her story.

A woman is born with over a million eggs, but only 10% remain by the time she's 30.

To Start a Family, This Woman Turned to Egg Freezing

Trystan Reese felt grateful that he was able to become pregnant and give birth. But for parents about to transition, there are steps they can take to preserve their fertility.

LGBTQ+ couples face many hurdles to biological reproduction.

Building a Family as a Transgender Person

Black women have experienced long-standing social, economic, and environmental stress that leads to more adverse reproductive health outcomes.

Generations of stress impact Black women on their journey to motherhood.

How Weathering Affects Black Women's Fertility

Canada

United States

Northern Mariana Islands

Puerto Rico

American Samoa

Guam

U.S. Virgin Islands

U.S. Minor Outlying Islands

US, US Territories, Canada

US & Territories

Fighting for Fertility

Mia Fassi’s infertility journey started when she was in her mid-30s. After unsuccessful in vitro treatments, adopting a child felt like an easy transition to consider.

African American women experience more fertility troubles than any other group.

A Woman's Journey with Infertility and Adoption

Woman's Journey with Infertility and Adoption

Koch Foundation

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In the United States, some 10% of people who wish to have children struggle with infertility. It’s especially common in the African American community, and fertility preservation can be difficult for transgender individuals as well. But why is this? And what can be done about it? NOVA explores barriers to fertility, from the social to the biological, and the state of assisted reproductive technologies. Follow the journeys of people navigating challenges from structural inequalities and racism to falling sperm counts, egg freezing, and IVF. (Premiered May 12, 2021)

Meet people struggling with infertility and the challenges of assisted reproduction.

Body & Brain

NOVA investigates the story of cannabis from the criminalization that has disproportionately harmed communities of color to the latest medical understanding of the plant. What risks does cannabis pose to the developing brain? How much do we know about its potential medical benefits? As cannabis becomes socially accepted, scientists are exploring its long-term health consequences. (Premiered September 29, 2021)Check out a previously recorded panel discussion and audience Q&amp;A featuring experts and producers from "The Cannabis Question" <a href="https://youtu.be/nSTT5RZ_hxA">here</a>.

As state-legalized cannabis spreads, NOVA explores its little-known risks and benefits.

The Cannabis Question

A 2006 composite image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Telescope shows the chaos of baby stars in the Orion nebula some 1,500 light-years away. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/STScI

With the upcoming launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the Hubble era is gradually drawing to a close. Here are some highlights from the countless wonders Hubble has shown us during its 31 years in space.

10 spectacular Hubble Space Telescope images

A statue of Zheng He at the Sam Poo Kong Temple in Java, Indonesia. Image Credit: Budianto Santosa, Shutterstock

In the 1400s, Zheng He sailed thousands of miles around Asia and Africa in ships the size of soccer fields, spreading Chinese innovations like compasses and gunpowder in the process.

Fighting for Fertility

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Sperm Count is Decreasing in Rich Nations—and No One Knows Why

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How Weathering Affects Black Women's Fertility

Life's Greatest Miracle

To Start a Family, This Woman Turned to Egg Freezing

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The pandemic disrupted tens of thousands of IVF cycles

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Fighting for Fertility

More Ways to Watch

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Support Provided By

Explore More

Sperm Count is Decreasing in Rich Nations—and No One Knows Why

A Woman's Journey with Infertility and Adoption

How the stress of racism can harm your health—and what that has to do with Covid-19

How mechanical engineering could revolutionize the study of preterm birth

How Weathering Affects Black Women's Fertility

Life's Greatest Miracle

To Start a Family, This Woman Turned to Egg Freezing

Can Two Men Make a Baby?

The pandemic disrupted tens of thousands of IVF cycles

Placenta: The Incredible Organ You Make During Pregnancy

Fighting for Fertility