By: Alicia Johnston
In a world that can be filled with bias and prejudice, we know that one thing that does not discriminate is loss.
Nearly 1 in 4 pregnancies end in a loss, but when we examine this statistic, what facets of loss does this encompass?
Does this statistic capture the loss of LGBTQIA+ individuals who endure several cycles of IVF or IUI with an eighty to eighty five percent chance of an unsuccessful conception?
Does this statistic include the losses of their gestational carriers, cost of services, medical complications, familial support, and hope for the future?
The implications of pregnancy and or/ infant loss is not greater or less than for those in the LGBTQIA+ Community verse those who are not, it is simply different. The loss of a pregnancy and or/ infant compounds, meaning that many parents are grieving more than just the death, but of all the losses to come for the rest of their lives. When we add this compounding grief with the previous losses experienced by some in the LGBTQIA+ community and the losses encountered while trying to conceive, the grief can transform and impact many areas of their lives.
Within this transformed grief faced by the LGBTQIA+ Community, sixty-six percent will experience symptoms of Anxiety and seventy-one percent will experience symptoms of Depression six months following a perinatal loss.
With this in mind, we know that while this month may be one of celebration for many in the LGBTQIA+ Community, it can also be a month of remembrance and reflection for how far we have come and how far we have yet to go. But please know that at Hope After Loss, we recognize and value all family structures, all experiences of pregnancy and or/ infant loss, and we welcome all with open arms and love.
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