COVID -19 RESPONSE

Dealing with uncertainly, unknowns and lack of control is familiar to people facing infertility and family building challenges. Many other medical conditions and life circumstances also can put us in this state of unknown uncertainty. However, having it experienced on a global level, being sheltered at home, and having limited access to healthcare is something very new.

While the lack of information is confusing and stressful, one way we can help ourselves move forward is recognizing that sometimes the best we can do is to make decisions based on what we know now. We cannot always wait for certainty.

Hasidah set forth some questions to help those facing infertility and family building challenges to take steps forward.

What do we know about the situation right now?
What are the issues involved with medical care for infertility clinics?
What are the important things to consider when making decisions (medically and emotionally)
What can people facing infertility do to take care of themselves through all of this?

Hasidah is very proud to have a robust healthcare advisory board to provide guidance at times like these and beyond. We were blessed to have reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Peter Klatsky and psychotherapist and spiritual director Karen Erlichman, D. Min, LCSW, to help us answer these questions. The video is available for you to see. Please feel free to share with others. It is very informative and comforting.

SPIRITUAL CARE DURING COVID-19

Hasidah also has spiritual care practices that are even more essential now. We will post them throughout the following weeks to help with coping through these challenging times. Our first one is the most basic and most common issue now: Relationship

Relationships are key to our spiritual health. Infertility can be isolating as it is. For many people social distancing was a very real coping mechanism before it became a common phrase. Having and nurturing relationships are essential to our human and spiritual existence. Infertility can strain relationships with family, spouses, parts of our self, our friend, our community and even God. Experiencing such a painful, personal and private trial can keep us feeling separated from others. Judaism teaches, however, that people are not meant to be alone (Gen 2.18). We are meant to live in relationships with others.

During this COVID-19 situation we are actually physically distancing and not necessarily “socially distancing.” We can nurture relationships in many ways even when we are not physically together. We can emotionally, mentally and, with the use of technology at least, visually make connections with others. The distinction is not just semantic. Feeling connected, thinking of others, taking stock of people in our lives, praying or focusing on a divine presence in our lives, and reaching out in any way opens us up to powerful healing.

In whatever way you are able, nurture relationships that nurture you. At least once a day, take a moment to recognize the relationships in your life. If you are able to reach out to just one or two people to share what you are experiencing, you are blessed. If you can just stay connected in any way, that is a blessing too. You are not alone.

Wishing you all health and safety during these times of uncertainty.

See ASRM press release on managing infertility therapy. Infertility is isolating and traumatizing on its own. With the COVID-19 spread now a pandemic, people dealing with infertility and other family building challenges face new questions. Read on for some answers:

COVID-19: Suggestions On Managing Patients Who Are Undergoing Infertility Therapy Or Desiring Pregnancy

Mar 12, 2020
By: ASRM
Origin: ASRM Bulletin/Press Release

As the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spreads around the world and throughout the USA, our professional community and policymakers, and the public in general, are seeking advice regarding how to manage patients who are undergoing or who are planning to undergo infertility treatment.

Currently, very little is known about the impact of COVID-19 on reproduction and pregnancy. There are reports of women who have tested positive for COVID-19 delivering babies free of the disease. (1,2) This data is reassuring but must be interpreted with caution given the small numbers. Other forms of coronavirus (3, 4) have been linked to increased adverse outcomes during pregnancy, but data specific to COVID-19 is not yet available. It should be emphasized, however, that coronaviruses are unrelated to the ZIKA virus, which had very clear implications for pregnancy and fetal development. Given the information we do have, while it would be wise for individuals with confirmed or presumed COVID-19 infection to avoid pregnancy, there appears to be no cause for alarm for those already pregnant.

Nonetheless, out of an abundance of caution, patients who have high likelihood of having COVID-19 (fever and/or cough, shortness of breath, and either exposure within 6 feet of a confirmed COVID-19 patient and within 14 days of onset of symptoms, or a positive COVID-19 test result), including those planning to use oocyte donors, sperm donors, or gestational carriers, should strive to avoid a pregnancy. If these patients are undergoing active infertility treatment, we suggest that they consider freezing all oocytes or embryos and avoid an embryo transfer until they are disease-free. Please note this recommendation does not necessarily apply when there solely is a suspicion of COVID-19, because symptoms of COVID-19 are very similar to other more common forms of respiratory illnesses.ASRM/SART recommends that all its members and their staff be familiar with the travel guidance on a daily basis as provided by the CDC as it is anticipated to change frequently. (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html) This advice applies to both men and women. Patients who have been traveling long distances for their care should also consider obtaining copies of their medical records in case they need to transfer their care to a local provider.

ASRM and SART remain concerned that travel restrictions due to the virus may cause intended parents who are using a gestational carrier not to be able to join their newborn in a timely manner. Consequently, we strongly encourage all intended parents and the legal professionals, organizations, and programs that facilitate these arrangements to promptly take the necessary steps to identify families that may be so affected and develop contingencies in the event that these babies need to be cared for following their birth. ASRM/SART member clinics who work with gestational carriers and intended parents are requested to reach out to their patients and those organizations and programs who facilitate gestational carrier arrangements to encourage them to ensure that these steps are taken.

Finally, all reproductive health care professionals and their patients are encouraged to follow instructions from state and local health departments and stay abreast of the latest guidelines and updates issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) websites regarding evolving developments concerning the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additional information can be obtained at: