The Legacy and RESOLVE Partnership — Expanding Fertility Stories

I am thrilled to announce that Legacy has launched a partnership with RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association. It coincides with National Infertility Awareness Week, and Legacy is dedicated to changing the conversation around fertility. Here’s why we’re excited to partner with RESOLVE and what this means for those seeking fertility resources.

For the very last time, fertility isn’t a “women’s issue”

Women have access to more resources about infertility than men do, which is excellent for ensuring that no woman ever has to walk into a conversation about family planning. It’s not so great when women feel like they’re the only ones responsible for the conversation.

Imagine this. A couple experiencing infertility goes to a fertility specialist together. The woman is poked and prodded — in the U.S., fertility clinics start with testing her rather than the man in most cases. She goes home and Googles “infertility” and ten million websites geared towards a woman’s experience pop up.

The man — might be sent to a clinic for a somewhat humiliating sperm sample. Google search results show women’s stories. He feels left out of the conversation altogether and doesn’t know where to turn to find meaningful resources for his fertility journey.

Or another scenario. A nontraditional couple (i.e., any couple beyond the standard one male and one female that we see presented everywhere in our media) tries to begin planning for a family. There are no real resources out there talking about family planning from a transgender perspective, an LGBTQ+couple’s perspective, or any perspective involving sperm without an automatic egg.

This is not acceptable for a society that embraces equality.

Our relationships have evolved beyond rigid expectations, and so should our family planning. Did you know that the United States is the only developed country in the world that doesn’t test the male first when it comes to infertility, and 20–25% of the time, men don’t get checked at all? It’s far less invasive and expensive to test people with sperm, and yet we still go straight for the egg. It’s ridiculous. Legacy wants to change that conversation forever, and it begins right now.

Fertility isn’t a secret experience anymore

One great thing about National Infertility Awareness month is that it’s brought fertility conversation into the public eye. No couple should have to hide their experiences or feel like they’re alone when family planning doesn’t go the way it does in the movies.

Even celebrities are lending their influence and experience to the conversation now. Male celebrities are getting behind the importance of planning properly for fertility and sexual health. DJ Khaled, Orlando Bloom, The Weeknd, and Justin Bieber have invested heavily in companies like Legacy.

Other celebrities are telling their stories about experiences with the fertility journey. The former first family, The Obamas, have been transparent about their IVF journey to give birth to their daughters. John Legend and Chrissy Teigan grieved for their lost child and offered an achingly raw look into what a fertility journey might look like. Even pro-athlete Dwayne Wade experienced infertility in his family planning with Gabrielle Union — at the height of his health and career, this still happened.

With more men and people with sperm lending their voices to the conversation, RESOLVE will also expand its work by partnering for the very first time with a company that focuses on the sperm side of the equation — Legacy. It’s a powerful signal that opens up even more pathways for understanding fertility from a complete perspective, and we cannot wait to fill that role.

It’s an extension of advocacy Legacy is already doing

This isn’t the first time Legacy has lent its expertise for the public good. We’ve already worked with the U.S. Military and veterans affairs to examine the role deployment plays in fertility and what sperm might tell us of the after-effects once veterans come home. We’ve partnered with major institutions in several research studies to understand what sperm can tell us about everything from health to pregnancy outcomes to life expectancy.

We’ve worked with insurers to provide fertility benefits to employees (Did you know that fertility benefits are one of the most sought-after benefits behind only mental health?) We’re also the preferred male fertility partner for every major fertility benefits provider including but not limited to Progyny, Maven, and Carrot.

Our collaboration will offer yet another way for us to reduce the stigma and shame around the question of male fertility (and for me to talk even more about sperm). We are rebalancing the fertility conversation and the responsibility of family planning, taking it off women’s shoulders and allowing everyone — no matter their relationship path — to make sound choices for the future.

Beyond National Infertility Awareness week, our collaboration will extend to advocacy for better fertility benefits from insurance and making costs more affordable for the average American. We are providing RESOLVE with a $100,000 grant, sponsoring their advocacy nights, and participating in several podcasts over the next year.

We’re bringing real stories to a wider audience

Having access to resources helps you take better care of yourself and better care of your loved ones. RESOLVE’s values align with Legacy’s, and we cannot wait to see what good comes out of this partnership. Legacy is proud to begin the conversation around sperm, men’s fertility, and alternative fertility paths. The stories we’ll help tell will ensure people know they’re not alone in their fertility journey, and our partnership with RESOLVE amplifies them to a broader audience.

It’s going to be a great year together.