We've spent some time lately in the blogosphere talking about the 12.5% of the population that we represent. I decided to do some research, and see how that 12.5% fits in with some other important health related issues of the day.
According to the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics:
- 16.8% of the population (under age 65) was uninsured in 2006.
- 6.5% of children ages 3-17 have ever been diagnosed with ADHD.
- 14% of adults have been diagnosed with chronic sinusitis.
- 17% of adolescents (ages 12-19) are overweight.
- Of kids ages 12-17, 12% had smoked cigarettes in the last month, and 18% had consumed alcohol (data collected in 2004).
- 17% of adults (over age 20) have high cholesterol.
Now, those may seem like some pretty random numbers. To be honest, they are. But I picked them because:
- The percentages are similar to our 12.5%
- ALL of the above conditions/concerns get more attention in the media, and in society, than our 12.5%.
- None of the above diseases are life threatening in and of themselves (just like infertility), and yet ALL of them are covered by health insurance.
I'm not sure what all of this means in the "big picture", or what, if anything, we can do about it. I do know that even though I'm not a stats expert (hell, I've never even taken a statistics class), those numbers don't lie. And I know that just seeing that all in black & white makes me angry.
2 Comments:
I completely agree and you've made a very good point. The fact that insurance companies get away with not covering infertility is just ridiculous. And it pisses me off beyond words.
Context speaks volumes...comparing our numbers to other conditions is one compelling way to get through to people. Thanks for this post.
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