Military families report fertility and financial barriers to parenthood

A new national survey from Building Military Families Network finds military-connected families are facing rising infertility, cost, and care-access hurdles that can delay parenthood and affect service retention. The group is urging policymakers and military leaders to expand fertility coverage, improve continuity of care, and treat family-building support as a readiness issue. Why it matters: - Military family-building problems are affecting more than personal plans for parenthood. - The survey links fertility barriers to morale, readiness, retention, and long-term force sustainability. - Many respondents said they would be more likely to stay in service if fertility benefits and family-building support were available. What happened: - Building Military Families Network released a national survey during World Infertility Awareness Month. - The survey included 242 military-connected respondents across active-duty service members, veterans, military spouses, reservists, and National Guard families. - The findings point to mounting fertility, financial, and family-building challenges across every branch of the military community. The details: - More than half of participants reported a formal infertility diagnosis. - Respondents described treatment cycles disrupted by PCS moves, deployments, training schedules, and long separations from spouses. - Many families said they delayed parenthood to meet military obligations and later faced more severe and more expensive fertility problems. - Financial strain came from fertility treatment, medications, embryo storage, transportation, and reproductive healthcare services. - Limited fertility coverage through TRICARE was one of the most common concerns. - Some families said they paid large out-of-pocket costs. - Others said they stopped treatment plans because they could not afford them. - Families reported waits of months, and in some cases more than a year, to see fertility specialists. - Respondents described confusion about referral processes and uneven provider knowledge about infertility guidelines and available resources. - Some said they feared fertility treatment, family-building leave, or pregnancy could hurt assignments, promotions, evaluations, or career progress. - Participants reported exposure to burn pits, jet fuel, diesel exhaust, radiation, industrial solvents, extreme environmental conditions, and hazardous housing conditions including mold, asbestos, and lead paint. - Very few respondents said they received formal evaluation, recognition, or support for possible service-connected reproductive health impacts. - Eshelman said military families are being forced to choose between serving their country and building their families. - Eshelman also said family building is a quality-of-life issue that directly affects military strength. Between the lines: - The survey suggests fertility is becoming a retention and readiness issue, not only a healthcare issue. - The exposure findings add another layer to the debate because families are connecting reproductive health problems to military service conditions. - The results also suggest that inconsistent care navigation may be as disruptive as the cost of treatment itself. What’s next: - Building Military Families Network is urging policymakers, military leadership, and healthcare stakeholders to expand fertility care access. - The group wants better provider education and stronger continuity-of-care protections during military relocations. - The organization is also calling for more research and policies that recognize reproductive health as part of military and veteran healthcare. - The group is asking for support for military families pursuing parenthood without sacrificing careers or financial stability. - The organization says the full 2025 Military Family Building Survey Comprehensive Report is available through its Contact Us form.