Myriam’s Maven story: Navigating a stigmatized fertility journey

Despite the universality of building a family, the challenges, joys, and experiences of the journey vary drastically from state to state and across the globe. Myriam, a partnership and sales professional based in Paris, France, started using Maven for extra support as she began to plan her path to parenthood. She first sought guidance for her fertility journey but quickly discovered how important emotional support would be in overcoming cultural stigmas around single parenthood. 

Starting a family during a shift in the culture 

As a single woman in her late thirties, Myriam decided she was ready to become a mother and  build her family. As she began to explore her options, she looked into freezing her eggs and intrauterine insemination (IUI).  “I realized that what I really wanted to be was a mother. I’m ready for it.” 

However, as she searched for a fertility clinic that would work with her and her sperm donor, she encountered more obstacles than she anticipated. Until June of 2021, French law only allowed heterosexual married couples to access medically assisted fertility treatments. Same-sex couples and single women looking for access to fertility support had to travel abroad to receive any care. While the laws have technically changed, Myriam found that conservative cultural attitudes towards fertility have yet to catch up. To her dismay, many providers at fertility clinics were not supportive of her decision to have her first child with a sperm donor. 

“Many people go to Belgium, the U.K., or Spain for fertility treatments,” explains Myriam. “People in my situation face discrimination. We have a lot of people in France who need help with their fertility, but they don’t have help from the healthcare here.”   

Easily accessible care simplified a complex journey

Research shows that fertility treatments trigger feelings of anxiety and shame, especially when women undergo treatments without a strong support system. As Myriam started this arduous process, she decided to use Maven, a new benefit offered by her employer that could support her on this journey. In meetings with her Care Advocate, Myriam found the support she needed to deal with the systemic and cultural inequities she encountered. As Myriam explained, compared to traditional families, “there are more barriers that make things difficult for single people.” Maven helped Myriam through all the unexpected emotional and logistical stressors of the process, from ordering necessary fertility equipment that only shipped to the U.K. and getting it to France, to the stigma and silence around fertility anxiety. 

That’s why it was so important that Myriam’s experience with Maven was accessible and straightforward. “The process was very easy. These things can be a pain sometimes, but not with Maven.” She could immediately schedule appointments at convenient times and quickly get reimbursed for fertility treatments through Maven Wallet. But Maven wasn’t just easy—Myriam felt encouraged and understood by every interaction with the platform. While she had difficulty accessing inclusive care at a fertility clinic in her area, her Care Advocate provided her with warm and genuine reassurance, as well as information about an at-home insemination kit she could order. 

Not only was Myriam able to supplement her in-person fertility treatments with on-demand appointments through Maven, she also met with a Maven fertility nurse based in Dublin who educated her about what to expect from fertility treatments and at-home IUI. With Maven, Myriam felt seen and supported in her decision to have her child by herself. 

“You can feel like you are lost navigating this process. Having Maven is like having a light.”

A trusted and empowering resource

As a single woman, Myriam felt excluded from the conversation around parenting. “I want to be a parent, but I felt left out. We know there are a lot of people who don’t talk about it, like people in new relationships, people not in a relationship, and gay people. What about us?” Myriam says. “We don’t have a seat at the table. I’m really grateful that my company is offering that to me through Maven.” Maven has given her more than just an outlet: it’s empowering her to open up about her journey.

She started to open up to a selective group of people—friends, family, and providers at Maven. “There’s a stigma around fertility issues,” Myriam says. “It’s difficult to talk about it, even for me. At some point, I would want to be vocal and public about it.” Despite the persistent stigma she faced, Maven gave Myriam hope that her culture and community would one day be more accepting of all pathways to parenthood.   

Myriam plans to continue meeting with her Maven nurse and her in-person OBGYN throughout her IUI journey. It gave her a sense of security knowing Maven could provide guidance and comfort in times of uncertainty. “You can feel like you are lost navigating this process. Having Maven is like having a light.”