In 2012, I thought I was living the longest, most stressful yearof my life. My husband and I had tried to conceive for the wholeyear, experiencing two early miscarriages along the way.

Infertile, the doctors said, and I knew myjourney was just beginning.

Over the next four years, I would have two more miscarriages,undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF) seven times, and give birth tostillborn twins before finally having my daughter Aurora lastyear.

I'm far from alone in this struggle. In fact, 1 in 8 couples inthe United States receive an infertility diagnosis.

Especially now, during NationalInfertility Awareness Week, infertility is receiving a lot ofmedia coverage. However, raising awareness needs to be an ongoingeffort — and it's everyone's responsibility, includingemployers.

How infertility affects employees

Infertility is all-consuming — emotionally, physically,mentally, and financially draining. In fact, research has shown thestress levels of women diagnosed with infertility are equivalent tothose 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 areattributed to the male partner, one-third attributed to the femalepartner, and one-third is caused by a combination of problems inboth partners or is unexplained. What’s more, the definition offamily is evolving.

While not ‘infertile’ in the strict medical definition sense,singles and LGBT couples cannot build their families alone. So theytoo 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 hidethis 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. employeesdiagnosed with infertility found 47 percent do not disclose theircondition at work. Unfortunately, these individuals report a pooremployee experience.

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

What employers can do

Despite the grim statistics, our research uncovered many ways tosupport 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 thefeeling that you don’t have control of your own body. Managingthese emotions on top of your day-to-day work responsibilities canfeel impossible.

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

To stay within your budget, inquire about corporate discountprograms through well-being services like LifeWorks or Fond, orreach out to local providers that offer bulk discounts. Best ofall, 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 offfor recurring appointments and perhaps undergo various treatments.To better understand the process and define your policy, considerstarting an employee resource group (ERG) devoted to infertility orcalling around to local clinics.

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

Related: Paid family, medical leave rising insupport

Work flexibility

An official paid medical leave policy for infertility treatmentsmight become less necessary if your workplace offers a combinationof flex-time and the ability to telecommute, either permanently oras needed. This allows employees to work around their appointmentsand at a time when they’re most productive.

Related: Study finds more companies offering flexibleworkplaces

Egg freezing

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

By providing some relief, you’re helping employees manage theirfinancial well-being and sparing them the stress of adding to theirdebt while they try to start a family. Look into corporate packageoptions for egg freezing with providers such as EggBanxx or ExtendFertility, which make egg freezing much more affordable forboth the patient and the employer.

Related: Employers offer cutting-edge benefits to staycompetitive

Fertility coaching

Fertility coaches help employees understand the emotions theyexperience while trying to start their family and provide directionso they can achieve their goals. You can pre-pay for coachingsessions with a specific coach, or subscribe to a fertilityconcierge service like Progyny. Additionally, you can subscribe to anemployee assistance program (EAP) that covers infertility supportalong with other services, like counseling and legalconsulation.

Health insurance

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

Contact your insurance broker about your options. If you needideas about how to structure your plan, our research found thethree 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 employeesliving with infertility. Make sure your employees know they don’thave to be silent and unsupported anymore.