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We need to talk about infertility.
By Alice Kelly — Written on May 07, 2021
Rebel Wilson is getting candid about her fertility struggles, revealing she recently received some “bad news.”
The actress opened up to her Instagram followers saying, “To all the women out there struggling with fertility, I feel ya,” alongside a somber image of herself walking on a beach.
Wilson didn’t share the specifics of the news she had received, but did add, “The universe works in mysterious ways and sometimes it all doesn’t make sense… but I hope there’s light about to shine through all the dark clouds.”
Wilson, 41, had previously shared her plans to make last year her “year of health” as she embarked on a weight-loss journey.
At the time, she also revealed she'd made the decision to freeze her eggs.
“As all good career women out there should know, if that’s something that interests you, it’s a pretty good time to do it,” she wrote at the time.
Wilson struggles with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which she discussed as part of her health plan.
Many believe this new revelation may imply that her PCOS has negatively impacted her plans to become a mother in the future.
What is PCOS and how does it impact women like Rebel Wilson?
PCOS is a condition that can cause irregular periods, weight gain, thinning hair, and infertility.
Wilson previously explained how her PCOS manifested as rapid weight gain which she has struggled to lose.
“I've been overweight for about 20 years. I started gaining weight when I was about 20,” she said.
“Sometimes, I feel sad, but then at the same time, I worked my body to my advantage. I like being all sizes. It's just now turning 40, I am more health-conscious and thinking of starting a family."
Infertility is a common side effect of PCOS.
The prevalence of infertility in people with PCOS varies between 70-80%.
Wilson’s candidness about her fertility journey is refreshingly rare. Many fans flooded her comments with messages of support and stories of their own experiences.
Rebel Wilson described her fertility struggles as a “lonely place.”
It is a struggle that impacts millions but often isn’t spoken about.
Wilson mentioned having no one to share the bad news with and thanked fans for pulling her out of a “lonely place.”
This is a sentiment many will relate to, particularly women who may have had to carry the burden of their fertility struggles alone.
Chrissy Teigen, who lost her newborn son last year after her own battle with infertility, described the experience and the stigma associated with it as “gut-wrenching.”
But she has remained insistent on transparency in order to end the culture of silence that surrounds fertility.
"I didn't want to just have my babies after having fertility struggles and then stop talking about it," Teigen said. "Hearing from other women made me know it was something that needed to be talked about more."
She has voiced what many women like Wilson might relate to, opening up about the shame and feelings of failure women experience while struggling to have children.
“You feel like your body was designed to do it, so why can't it do this thing? ...You feel like you couldn't do this one thing that God created you to do," she said.
Teigen and Wilson’s admissions about their fertility journeys contribute to a conversation we all need to be having about the isolation and pain that comes with the process of attempting to have a child.
While this experience is ultimately personal and varies from person to person, there is no need for the secrecy surrounding fertility which inevitably leads to loneliness if that journey comes to an unfortunate end.
Alice Kelly is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York. Catch her covering all things social justice, news, and entertainment. Keep up with her on Twitter for more