The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and Doctors For Fertility (DFF) have announced that they will hold a joint advocacy training workshop in New Orleans in October.

ASRM and DFF aim to educate attendees on how to advocate for reproductive medicine as we face unprecedented political challenges across America

Since the Dobbs decision, the reproductive medicine community has seen one legislative body after another strip away the right to access necessary treatments in reproductive medicine, including abortion, management of miscarriage, and gender-affirming care.

Policymakers in at least 14 states are failing to exercise the care and careful approach to lawmaking that every American should expect from elected officials. As a result, they are passing legislation that ignores basic medical terminology and expert advice to avoid unintended, harmful consequences.

The ASRM & DFF Advocacy training workshop will take place Sunday, October 13, 2023, from 1–3 PM at the Riverside Hilton in New Orleans, the headquarters hotel for ASRM’s 2023 Scientific Congress & Expo. The workshop will feature members of ASRM and DFF sharing their first-hand experiences as advocates for the field of reproductive medicine.

Physicians and other healthcare professionals from around the country will discuss how they have met with legislators, recruited allies, delivered testimony, and otherwise engaged in advocacy on behalf of their patients and profession

“Our field has never had so much at stake in the political process and it is imperative that all of us raise our voices,” said Natalie Crawford, MD, President of Doctors for Fertility. “This workshop is designed to help more of us develop the skills we need to successfully engage in advocacy to better protect reproductive rights nationally.”

Michael Thomas MD, President of ASRM stated

“We are thrilled to partner with DFF on this important initiative. ASRM has long been the leading provider of education for professionals in the field. It’s clear that in the current environment, education must extend to advocacy as well as science.”

Find out more about the impact that the Dobbs decision has had on the USA by visiting @doctorsforfertility recent Instagram post. Dr Blake Evans, a DFF Advisory Board member and OB-GYN/REI, was featured in a review highlighting how the overturn of Roe v. Wade has had unintentional adverse implications with accessing IVF care in the U.S.

You can also read the full review here and make sure to follow @doctorsforfertility to keep up with their board members efforts to inspire and inform others in the fight for reproductive rights and fertility access.

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