Ep.232: The Real Reason US Fertility Policy Fails WITH Leonard Lopoo

If you’ve been trying to conceive for over a year and want this level of detective work on your case, apply to work with me and my team here: https://drjanelevesque.com/application/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=podcast_audio_captivate It takes about 5–7 minutes to complete. If we can help, we’ll invite you to a free Fertility Clarity Call with one of my team members. On that call, we’ll go through your story, see what’s been missed, and walk you through our simple 3‑step Clarify → Correct → Conceive process that’s helped over 70% of our clients finally bring home a healthy baby.Episode SummaryIf you've ever wondered why "family planning" in the US almost never means help getting pregnant, this episode is for you. I sit down with Leonard Lopoo, a policy researcher and author of “Wanting Children”, to unpack how US family planning policy was built, who it was designed to help, and who it's always left out. We get into the history he uncovered in his research, including Nixon-era recordings revealing the eugenics-adjacent thinking behind some of these programs, why most states still don't mandate insurance coverage for infertility treatment, and how countries like France, Poland, and Estonia support families very differently. Len also shares his central argument for what should actually determine policy: not income, but whether someone genuinely wants to become a parent.In this episode, you’ll learn:US "family planning" policy means contraception, not fertility support, not even ovulation medicationsMany federal programs began in the 1970s under a health equity banner, but archival research reveals more complex motivesMost states don't mandate infertility insurance coverage, and where it exists, it's often gated behind years of tryingMedicaid excludes ovulation-stimulating medications, and newer programs like TrumpRx exclude Medicaid recipients entirelyFrance, Poland, and Estonia offer far more generous fertility support, some funding up to six IVF cyclesLen argues policy should prioritize "wantedness," not income, since that's what actually predicts better outcomes for childrenAbout Dr. Jane’s PracticeI’m a Naturopathic Doctor and Natural Fertility Expert. My team and I work 1:1 with couples who’ve been struggling with infertility for 1+ years to get to the root cause of their fertility issues so they can conceive and bring a healthy baby home, using advanced lab testing and personalized protocols.Our mission is to make science-backed, natural fertility care the standard so more couples can build healthy, thriving families.If you want this level of support on your own case, apply here: drjanelevesque.com/applicationAbout My GuestLeonard Lopoo brings a unique and highly relevant perspective to conversations around fertility, family planning, and modern parenthood by examining the larger economic and societal forces shaping these decisions. Rather than approaching declining birth rates solely from a medical or cultural lens, he helps audiences understand how factors like housing affordability, childcare costs, economic insecurity, healthcare access, and workplace pressures increasingly influence whether and when people feel able to start families. His research-driven perspective adds important context to today’s conversations around fertility and reproductive choices, helping listeners connect personal experiences to broader systemic trends in a thoughtful, accessible way.Connect With My Guest:Website: https://www.maxwell.syr.edu/directory/leonard-m-lopooLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonard-lopoo-8184582a5/