Mandy Moore opens up about her fertility experience: ‘My journey to motherhood was not linear’

In an age where women’s access to reproductive health care is under fire—girls born today will have fewer rights than their grandmothers did even 50 years ago—there’s no better time to push for more gender equity in clinical research. That’s exactly what Mandy Moore has set out to do, in partnership with Perelel, through the new campaign “Perelel Universe”. 

“What if fertility support was accessible?” Moore asks in a campaign video launched on Sept. 11. “What if ‘hormonal’ wasn’t a bad word?” “What if research reflected our bodies?” “What if the fourth trimester wasn’t an afterthought?” Historically, women have been vastly underrepresented in clinical research, which is the driver behind the effort: Moore invites viewers to create the future women need—by calling on Congress to help close the gender research gap. Perelel has pledged $10 million to help address healthcare disparities and fund more women’s health research.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Perelel (@perelelhealth)

‘I went into the whole experience pretty blind’

As a mother to two boys and currently pregnant with her third child—a daughter!—Moore’s own pregnancy journeys haven’t always been smooth, she tells Motherly. 

“I went into the whole experience pretty blind and very unfamiliar with how my body functions and what support it needs as I move through pregnancy,” the actor and singer shares. “My journey to motherhood was not linear,” she explains. 

“Very quickly in my pregnancy and motherhood journey I realized how little I actually knew about my own body. For our first, we tried for over a year before learning that there might be an issue that would inhibit my ability to conceive without surgery,” Moore says. “Like so many women, I had never even considered that possibility. We were lucky to ultimately conceive a healthy pregnancy without surgery—but it illuminated how helpless it all felt.” 

Moore says she needed to access fertility support—and recognizes that not everyone has that same access, especially now.

And as many families know, the path can remain rocky, even after previous pregnancies. “Even when we decided to try for a third, I suddenly found myself at the doctor’s office with all of these additional factors to consider: I had never really thought about my egg count or the quality of my eggs and now it felt like the clock was ticking,” Moore says. “We are doing ourselves such a disservice to not think about pregnancy, fertility and the future until we’re in that moment.” 

Throughout the whole experience, Moore says she found herself wishing that we as a society would have more open conversations about fertility. “I am so proud to support Perelel as they work relentlessly to destigmatize these conversations and fight for a world where women know more about their bodies and feel comfortable to talk about their journeys,” she says, remarking that her dreams for her daughter are “too vast to summarize” but center around normalizing these types of conversations, as well as promoting body literacy. And she’s dedicated to helping close the gender equity gap in research “so that women have access to the care and support they need and deserve.”

Women’s health research is chronically underfunded

There’s clearly work to do: Less than 11% of funding from the National Institutes of Health goes toward the study of women’s health. And even women’s participation in clinical research is low. As recently as 2019, women accounted for just 40% of participants in clinical trials for three major diseases affecting women: cancer, cardiovascular disease and psychiatric disorders, despite representing 51% of the population, a 2022 study by researchers at Harvard Medical School found. 

“Because of this [research gap], women struggle to find reliable resources and comprehensive care that addresses their unique needs,” Moore says. 

The statistics are even more bleak for Black women, who are consistently underrepresented by clinical research even though they are overrepresented by disease, a 2022 systematic review found. This dearth of research is a primary contributor to health inequities and social injustice, experts say. Recognizing this critical issue, a White House effort launched by Dr. Jill Biden in 2023 is also underway to help close the gender gap in research.

“Every woman I know has a story about leaving her doctor’s office with more questions than answers,” writes the First Lady in a statement at the time. “Not because our doctors are withholding information, but because there’s just not enough research yet on how to best manage and treat even common women’s health conditions. 

Time is of the essence. “At this crucial moment—when critical access to care and health equity are on the line—we have the opportunity to advocate for a world in which women’s health is treated and funded equitably,” Moore says. 

In light of these disparities and the urgent need for change, Moore and Perelel are calling on Congress to close the longstanding gender research gap by gathering signatures in support of increasing funding for women’s health research initiatives through the National Institutes of Health (NIH). You can add your name at perelelhealth.com/universe.