National Fertility Awareness Week: 4 – 8 November 2024
Defence Fertility Network
Fertility issues impact some 3.5 million people in the UK. The challenge of undergoing assisted conception and fertility support whilst serving within Defence can be exacerbated by both the posting-cycle, and by extended periods of separation on exercise, deployments, and career courses. This can be physically, psychologically, and emotionally draining on couples and individuals seeking and undergoing treatment. It can impact and damage personal relationships and undermine productivity at work. It can be an all-consuming and often lonely journey to take.
The Defence Fertility Network exists to provide all individuals, couples, and civilian partners across Defence a means to engage with others who have been on a fertility journey or are currently doing so. It is an opportunity for individuals and couples to recognise that they aren’t alone, and that peer support and guidance is available.
The Network functions primarily as a private Facebook group which is rank-free and independent of the chain-of-command, enabling a safe and welcoming space for mutual peer support where confidentiality is fully respected.
The Network is committed to ensuring provision of peer support, guidance on funding, and signposting for both those undergoing fertility investigations and education and awareness across Defence. If you would like to find out more then you are welcome to join the private Facebook Group. For more information without having to join, as well as access to policies and support resources, you can find the Network on Defence Connect. If you have any questions or queries, then please feel free to e-mail the Service Leads on Army-Pers-DF-Network@mod.gov.uk and one of the team will get back to you as soon as they can. The current Service Leads are Rachel Smedley and Laura Dietz (Royal Navy), John O’Neill (Army) and Sadie Pairman (Royal Air Force).
External support can also be found via Fertility Network UK and men seeking peer support are encouraged to access the HIMfertility campaign.
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