2026 SESSION
ENROLLED
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 287
Commending Birth in Color.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 10, 2026
Agreed to by the Senate, March 12, 2026
WHEREAS, Birth in Color, a community-based organization, advocates for Black maternal health in the Commonwealth and provides crucial support for Black women and their families; and
WHEREAS, Birth in Color strives to empower communities through comprehensive, culturally inclusive services and works to dismantle systemic barriers in maternal, reproductive, and infant health care; and
WHEREAS, Birth in Color recognizes that Virginians are increasingly struggling with infertility; approximately one in six people around the world experience infertility during their lifetime, a prevalence that spans all income levels and regions, and approximately 12 percent of women and nine percent of men in the United States are infertile; and
WHEREAS, the need for fertility care to build one's family arises from diverse factors and impacts individuals without regard to age, sexual orientation, relationship status, or gender identity; however, infertility does disproportionately affect some communities: Black women in the United States are nearly twice as likely to experience infertility as non-Hispanic white women, and people with disabilities experience higher rates of infertility, often due to underlying medical conditions, medications, or prior medical interventions; and
WHEREAS, the majority of infertility cases respond to evidence-based medical treatment, and Birth in Color promotes the use of safe and effective assisted reproductive technologies, including in vitro fertilization, as well as fertility preservation techniques, such as gamete or tissue cryopreservation, which are recommended for individuals at risk of infertility; and