In the United States, some 10 percent of people who wish to have children struggle with infertility. It’s especially common in the African American community, and fertility preservation can be difficult for transgender individuals as well. But why is this? And what can be done about it?

James A. Grifo, MD, PhD, director of the NYU Langone Fertility Center and professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at NYU Langone, appears on “Fighting for Fertility” on PBS’s NOVA to explore the barriers to fertility, from the social to the biological, and the state of reproductive technologies.

“We, as a society, all need to know that there are issues with having babies when we’re older, and we need to be thoughtful about planning our fertility. It’s not a popular message, and it does create anxiety, which no one wants to do. But, on the other hand, I can’t tell you the number of women who have said, ‘No one told me this stuff. I can’t believe I’m 44 and thinking it’s easy to get pregnant. And now you’re telling me I almost had no chance,’” says Dr. Grifo.

Watch more from “Fighting for Fertility” on NOVA.