#BookStackForMRKH
in honor of Resolve’s National Infertility Awareness Week launching today.
What is #BookStackForMRKH?
The history behind #BookStackForMRKH is relatively young. I created the hashtag and launched it in February 2021 on Rare Disease Day as a way to help spread awareness of MRKH on social media and raise money for the Beautiful You MRKH Foundation. This year, I decided to wait until Resolve’s National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW).
The concept of a hashtag followed by BookStack with the name of a cause is most commonly seen on Instagram in the subcommunity called Bookstagram, though the hashtags have been used elsewhere. The idea is to post a stack of books in support of a cause either to raise awareness or money, or both. There are several variations including #In(Month)WeStackFor(Cause), #RedStackForHeartDisease, #BookstaSupportsUkraine, and so on. Many times #BookStackForACause is included in the post description. In the case of #BookStackForMRKH, the stack of books match the colors of flower in the logo of the Beautiful You MRKH Foundation since the hashtag was founded as a fundraiser for the foundation.
Read on for more information on MRKH and NIAW. I hope you will join me on Instagram in posting your own photo for #BookStackForMRKH. Don’t want to or can’t participate by posting a book stack? Then share this blog post or my Instagram post!
What is MRKH?
MRKH stands for Mayer Rokitansky Kuster Hauser Syndrome and is named for the five physicians who made discoveries of the condition at various times. It is a rare infertility condition that affects the reproductive system of roughly 1 in 5,000 females. Typically, the uterus, cervix, and vagina are underdeveloped or not developed at all. Many individuals with the condition are diagnosed as a teenager when menstruation does not start, though some are diagnosed at younger ages when other symptoms or health issues arise. One key thing to know is that those with MRKH are typically born with at least one, if not both, functioning ovaries. Unless there is an underlining hormone issue, puberty happens normally with breast development, hair growth, and curves forming.
There is also MRKH Type 2, or MURCS which stands for (MU)llerian, (R)enal, (C)ervicothoracic (S)omite abnormalities. This is MRKH, plus one or any combination of issues with the renal/urinary systems, skeleton, hearing loss, and/or short stature.
What is National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW)?
Launched by Resolve in 1989, it is a federally recognized health observance week as of 2010, and as their website states, “Its mission is to empower you and change the conversation around infertility. All too often myths and misinformation appear in media stories or influence lawmakers and companies to enforce policies that create barriers for people who need help building their family. And still people feel isolated when they struggle to build a family, so we want to empower them to share their story and find a community that cares.”
For more information, visit their website at https://infertilityawareness.org/about-niaw/.
They have several ways that people can get involved in helping to raise awareness about infertility, including the 5-Day Photo Challenge starting tomorrow. Be sure to follow me on Instagram so you don’t miss a photo or Reel! And, don’t forget to wear orange on Wednesday, April 27 in solidarity.
