Health, Hope & Happiness - The Black Woman Experience

Black women nationwide are facing a maternal health crisis, facing everything from a lack of treatment to struggling to find sperm donors and even, in tragic cases, losing their lives.

In Health, Hope & Happiness - The Black Women Experience, FOX 5 NY looks at a few of those stories, from black women who have gone through so much to become mothers, to black women who have decided to eschew motherhood altogether.

The Fertility Factor: A journey to motherhood after struggling with infertility for more than a decade

For Gessie Thompson and her husband, Marc, the journey to parenthood was painful, as uterine fibroids, a condition that disproportionately affects black women, caused Gessie to struggle with infertility. 

FOX 5 NY spoke with doctors about the treatment of fibroids and other inequalities in health outcomes for black women.

The Donor Dilemma: Black donor shortage hurts women looking for sperm

Black men account for less than 2% of sperm donors at Cryobanks across the nation. FOX 5 NY takes a look at the reasons for the shortage, and the steps being taken across the world to attract donors of color.

Maternal mortality: Using technology and art to save Black mothers' lives

According to data from the federal government, the maternal mortality rate for black women was more than 2.5 times the rate for white women in 2021.

FOX 5 NY spoke with Omari Maynard, an artist who has begun creating paintings in tribute to his former partner, Shamony Gibson, who died two weeks after giving birth by C-section in 2019. In the aftermath of Gibson's death, Maynard created The ARIAH Foundation, which works to educate, support, and advocate for Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC), who have been impacted by racism in the reproductive healthcare system.

The Rich Auntie Lifestyle - How some black women are choosing career over children

As more and more women forgo having children, the concept of the 'Rich Auntie' has emerged, as women choose to eschew having traditional families to find sources of joy that don't involve building a family. 

FOX 5 NY speaks with the women who are helping normalize the "childfree" lifestyle. 

To Find Out More About the People and Organizations in the Stories Above, Visit These Links:

FERTILITY FACTOR - Story by Tashanea Whitlow

Dr. Jessica Opoku- Anane - Columbia University Irving Medical Center

https://www.columbiadoctors.org/

Dr. Tia Jackson- Bey - Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York

https://www.rmany.com/

Coach Gessie Thompson - The Detox Now

https://thedetoxnow.com/

DONOR DILEMMA - Story By Antwan Lewis

California Cryobank- New York

https://www.cryobank.com/about-us/locations/new-york/

American Society for Reproductive Medicine

https://www.reproductivefacts.org/?vs=1

MATERNAL MORTALITY - Story by Dan Bowens

The Ariah Foundation

https://www.theariahfoundation.org/

Irth App

https://irthapp.com/

Healthfirst Insurance Company

https://healthfirst.org/

RICH AUNTIE LIFESTYLE - Story by Christal Young

Rachel Cargle

https://www.richauntiesupreme.com/

Therapy Resources: https://thelovelandfoundation.org/

Book out May 16th: "A RENAISSANCE OF OUR OWN"

Rich Auntie Energy

https://richauntieenergy.com/

Jessica Nabongo

https://thecatchmeifyoucan.com/