Gabrielle Union on infertility struggles: Don't give up hope!

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

Actress Gabrielle Union has some words of encouragement for all of the couples out there who are struggling to have a child.

"If you happen to have issues with fertility as you've gotten older and you happen to have a career, all is not lost," Gabrielle, 42, said during an appearance on the TODAY Show. "There is so much hope, there are so many options."

The comments come on the heels of the Being Mary Jane star's interview with Redbook magazine, where she admitted that she and her husband, NBA star Dwayne Wayde, have been struggling to conceive.

"So far, it has not happened for us. A lot of my friends deal with this," she revealed. "There's a certain amount of shame that is placed on women who have perhaps chosen a career over starting a family younger. The penance for being a career woman is barrenness. You feel like you're wearing a scarlet letter."

Today, Gabrielle clarified that she has not undergone in vitro fertilization, but has had other fertility treatments.

"I was actually not talking about IVF for me personally, but more of just in general. Most of my friends who have done IVF aren't women in their 40's - women in their 20's and 30's," said the stunning star, adding that her aim was just "To shed a little light on fertility as an issue, period."

I applaud her for being forthright about it. Infertility used to be totally taboo, but more women, and men, are speaking out about it now. Perhaps that's in part thanks to Gabrielle and other women in the spotlight - stars like Giuliani Rancic, Jaime King and Nicole Kidman - who are opening up about their own struggles.

Just this week model Chrissy Teigen, who recently revealed that she and her husband John Legend had been trying to conceive for years, shared some very happy news in her journey to motherhood: "John and I are so happy to announce that we are pregnant," she Tweeted. "As many of you know, we've been trying to have a baby for a while now. It hasn't been easy, but we kept trying because we can't wait to bring our first child into the world and grow our family. We're so excited that it's finally happening."

Did you have a hard time getting pregnant?

These celebrities have also spoken out about infertility and loss:
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