Especially now, during National Infertility Awareness Week, infertility is receiving a lot of media coverage. However, raising awareness needs to be an ongoing effort — and it's everyone's responsibility, including employers.

How infertility affects employees

Infertility is all-consuming — emotionally, physically, mentally, and financially draining. In fact, research has shown the stress levels of women diagnosed with infertility are equivalent to those with cancer, AIDS, or heart disease.

Related: The case for infertility benefits

Lest you think infertility is solely a ‘woman’s issue,’ approximately one-third of cases in the United States are attributed to the male partner, one-third attributed to the female partner, and one-third is caused by a combination of problems in both partners or is unexplained. What’s more, the definition of family is evolving.

While not ‘infertile’ in the strict medical definition sense, singles and LGBT couples cannot build their families alone. So they too are an important part of this conversation.

All told, tens of millions in the U.S. alone cannot conceive ‘the old-fashioned way.’ And yet, we often remain silent and hide this big piece of who we are — especially in the workplace — because ‘infertility’ is still a taboo topic.

In fact, a survey by my company of 1,000 U.S. employees diagnosed with infertility found 47 percent do not disclose their condition at work. Unfortunately, these individuals report a poor employee experience.

Only 29 percent feel supported by their employer. As a result, they quit (30 percent), are actively looking for or are open to new job opportunities (27 percent), or potentially worst of all, they stay even though they are unhappy (32 percent).

What employers can do

Despite the grim statistics, our research uncovered many ways to support employees with infertility:

Free or discounted services

Infertility causes a constant state of confusion, frustration, guilt, grief, and even hopelessness. A lot of this stems from the feeling that you don’t have control of your own body. Managing these emotions on top of your day-to-day work responsibilities can feel impossible.

To help employees manage the stresses of infertility, provide them with discounted or free services — like yoga and acupuncture — that both reduce stress and potentially even help positively influence the outcome of fertility treatments.

To stay within your budget, inquire about corporate discount programs through well-being services like LifeWorks or Fond, or reach out to local providers that offer bulk discounts. Best of all, every employee can reap the rewards of this perk, not just those with infertility.

Paid medical leave

To manage infertility, your employees will need to take time off for recurring appointments and perhaps undergo various treatments. To better understand the process and define your policy, consider starting an employee resource group (ERG) devoted to infertility or calling around to local clinics.

Determine which infertility-related appointments and treatments would qualify for paid medical leave. Treat it as any other paid leave policy in terms of how and when to request paid medical leave.

Related: Paid family, medical leave rising in support

Work flexibility

An official paid medical leave policy for infertility treatments might become less necessary if your workplace offers a combination of flex-time and the ability to telecommute, either permanently or as needed. This allows employees to work around their appointments and at a time when they’re most productive.

Related: Study finds more companies offering flexible workplaces

Egg freezing

Some of the biggest companies in the world, like Apple and Facebook, provide their employees free access to egg freezing. This is a pricey endeavor, costing as much as $10,000 for an initial charge and then a yearly storage fee.

By providing some relief, you’re helping employees manage their financial well-being and sparing them the stress of adding to their debt while they try to start a family. Look into corporate package options for egg freezing with providers such as EggBanxx or Extend Fertility, which make egg freezing much more affordable for both the patient and the employer.

Related: Employers offer cutting-edge benefits to stay competitive

Fertility coaching

Fertility coaches help employees understand the emotions they experience while trying to start their family and provide direction so they can achieve their goals. You can pre-pay for coaching sessions with a specific coach, or subscribe to a fertility concierge service like Progyny. Additionally, you can subscribe to an employee assistance program (EAP) that covers infertility support along with other services, like counseling and legal consulation.

Health insurance

Even though it may not be mandated by your state, adding infertility coverage to your health insurance plan has many benefits — and doesn’t cost as much as you think. According to a study by EMD Serono, Path2Parenthood, and RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, 91 percent of employers offering infertility treatment have not experienced an increase in their medical costs as a result, and infertility coverage can be provided at less than 1 percent of total premium cost.

Contact your insurance broker about your options. If you need ideas about how to structure your plan, our research found the three most popular plans included: 1) lifetime maximum of $25,000, 2) all services covered, and 3) lifetime maximum of $10,000.

No matter your budget, you can provide support for employees living with infertility. Make sure your employees know they don’t have to be silent and unsupported anymore.