New Data Highlights the Need for Reproductive Health Awareness and Proactive Fertility Care in Women’s Sports
In honor of National Girls & Women in Sports Month this February, Cofertility, the human-centered fertility ecosystem offering a scalable approach to egg freezing and third party reproduction, has partnered with &Mother, the non-profit organization founded to support women in sports and motherhood, to launch Level the Playing Field. This initiative was driven by insights from hundreds of surveyed Olympic, Paralympic and other professional women athletes, shaping new research on the challenges of balancing motherhood with a career in sports.
"At Cofertility, we believe that every woman, athletes included, deserves access to education and options when it comes to her reproductive future,” said Lauren Makler, Co-Founder and CEO of Cofertility. “Too often, women are forced to choose between their careers and motherhood due to outdated systems that fail to provide institutional support, protective policies, or comprehensive fertility benefits. Many of our own Cofertility members are athletes who have faced these very challenges firsthand. Through Level the Playing Field, in partnership with &Mother, we aim to change the narrative around proactive fertility care in sports and better equip athletes with the knowledge and resources they need to make informed decisions about their future—on their own terms.”
“In sports, women have been penalized for even choosing motherhood,” added Alysia Montaño, President, Founder and CEO of &Mother and Olympic Athlete. “This campaign shines a light on the critical support and resources athletes need to help level the playing field, extending their careers and providing them with psychological safety while supporting their abilities to thrive as mothers. If we can break these barriers in sports, we can set a precedent for all mothers.”
After speaking with over 350 women athletes, including Olympians and professionals, from over 18 sports, the results are resounding:
- Women athletes want options. Many aspire to motherhood but face career roadblocks that leave them without the flexibility or resources to plan for their reproductive futures. In fact, 70% of professional women athletes report having delayed family-building due to their career.
- Women athletes need support. Outdated policies sideline them. 95% feel motherhood negatively impacts their earning potential, and 9 in 10 believe it affects their career longevity due to inadequate family leave and financial instability.
- Women athletes are underserved. Fertility concerns weigh heavily on them, yet less than half have consulted a medical professional, and 90% feel uneducated about their options. Of those who haven't pursued fertility preservation, 35% cite career limitations, and 65% lack education on the process. Meanwhile, 92% receive no financial or institutional support for fertility care.
The Level the Playing Field campaign will unite leading organizations, teams, athletes, and influential voices including Maria Sharapova, Ashlyn Harris, Alexi Pappas, Missy Franklin, Chelsea Sodaro, Carly Patterson, Molly Huddle, and brands like Hello Sunshine, MUSE Capital, Strava, Babylist, ON and more to amplify the message.
“As athletes, our bodies are literally our business, so our fertility and reproductive health directly impacts our livelihoods,” said Maria Sharapova, former professional and Olympic tennis player, investor and advocate in women's health companies, like Cofertility. “I invested in Cofertility to help make egg freezing more affordable and provide women access to health and family planning options, which is particularly pertinent to women in sports. It’s important to me that women athletes have the knowledge and resources necessary to maintain autonomy over their careers and compete at the highest levels for as long as they wish.”
It’s time to level the playing field.
To learn more about the campaign, see the survey results, or get involved and donate to the cause, visit leveltheplayingfield.co or follow Cofertility on Instagram at @freezebyco and &Mother at @andmother_org and the hashtag #leveltheplayingfield.
About Cofertility:
Cofertility is reshaping fertility preservation and third-party reproduction so it’s more accessible, human and community-driven. The company offers a destigmatized, scalable approach to egg donation, which reshapes the cost structure of egg-freezing by matching women who want to freeze their eggs with families who could not otherwise conceive and by donating half, women can freeze their eggs for free. Cofertility is in the “family” business, determined to improve the family-building journey — today or in the future — and is in an endless pursuit to make these experiences more positive. For more information, visit www.cofertility.com or follow on LinkedIn and Instagram.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250205269720/en/
Contacts
Carly Kuikman
CSK Public Relations
(978) 604 - 0904
carly@cskpublicrelations.com