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In this episode, we’re talking about infertility and IVF with family medicine physician Dr. Chi Johnson. At 33, in the middle of residency, Dr. Chi was diagnosed with primary ovarian insufficiency and told by her first specialist that no one would freeze her eggs. She kept the diagnosis to herself for two years. Dr. Chi joins Dr. Joy to talk about the AMH test that caught it, why she kept looking until she found a Black woman fertility specialist who laid out options, and what IVF looked like day to day, from the injections to a negative first transfer to an early pregnancy loss. She also gets into what treatment costs once insurance caps out, and how her faith stayed hers when her church didn’t support IVF.
Dr. Joy and Dr. Chi discuss:
- Being diagnosed with primary ovarian insufficiency at 33
- What the AMH test can and can’t tell you
- Getting a second and third opinion
- Ovarian rejuvenation and other options her specialist presented
- What IVF asked of her, from daily injections to the two-week wait
- Grieving an early pregnancy loss and working with a therapist who specializes in it
- Lifetime insurance caps and the out-of-pocket cost of IVF
- Why online fertility support groups made her anxiety worse
- How faith carried her when her church didn’t support IVF
- How the experience changed the way she sees her body
About the Podcast
The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.
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Website: thedrchi.com
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A Love Story Through Infertility: Diagnosis | Infertility Part I | IVF Transfer
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Our Production Team
Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Gabrielle Collins
Director of Podcast & Digital Content: Ellice Ellis
Producer: Ndeye Thioubou
Production Assistant: Bria Mosley
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