The Portland Thorns announced Tuesday that they have entered into a partnership with US Fertility to provide complimentary fertility services to players.
“This is an opportunity to do something that empowers our players, enhances reproductive autonomy, and provides needed access to premier fertility care."US Fertility to serve as club’s official fertility partner:— Portland Thorns FC (@ThornsFC) May 10, 2022
“This is an opportunity to do something that empowers our players, enhances reproductive autonomy, and provides needed access to premier fertility care."US Fertility to serve as club’s official fertility partner:
Education and fertility care options will be made available to Thorns FC players and their families through the partnership, including fertility evaluations, egg retrieval and freezing, frozen embryo transfers and other resources.
The club wrote in a statement that the goal is so that players “do not have to choose between their careers and their plans for building a family.”
“This is an opportunity to do something that empowers our players, enhances reproductive autonomy, and provides needed access to premier fertility care,” Thorns general manager Karina LeBlanc said in a statement. “As a former Thorns player who understands the demands of athletes and their families, I am proud to be a part of a team that is continuously evolving to meet the needs of our players.”
Last October, Racing Louisville FC partnered with the Kentucky Fertility Institute to provide fertility services to players.
The NWSL isn’t the first professional league to branch into fertility services. The WNBPA partnered with Modern Fertility starting last year.