There are moments when a community decides that a difficult conversation can no longer be avoided.

We have seen that happen with abortion. It has been a difficult and deeply personal conversation, with reasonable people holding — and continuing to hold — very different views. But it has also shown us that issues involving women's health, reproductive choices and the circumstances surrounding pregnancy deserve to be discussed openly and honestly.

We need to bring that same courage and openness to another issue: access to IVF and fertility care.

For many women and couples, the desire to have a child is deeply personal. For some, infertility is an unexpected and painful part of their lives. IVF can offer a path to parenthood that otherwise may not exist.

But access to IVF is not simply a question of whether the technology exists. In Bermuda, it is also a question of whether people can realistically access it.

What does it cost? Where must someone go to receive treatment? What happens when treatment isn't available locally? Who can afford to pursue it, and who may find the barriers simply too great?

These are healthcare questions. And they are women's health questions.

Yet many of us don't know how widespread these challenges are within our own community because we haven't really asked.

That is why it is time to start asking.

I am inviting women, and anyone who cares about women's health, to share their experiences, perspectives and priorities through a short questionnaire.

Here’s the link: forms.gle/JcdEkw4HwsTL1x4b8

The purpose is not to tell people what they should think. It is not about creating another political argument. It is about listening.

How many have considered IVF but found it financially or practically out of reach?

How many have had to leave the country to access treatment?

What barriers did they encounter?

And, perhaps most importantly, what do women themselves believe needs to change?

IVF may be where we begin, but I don't believe it should be where the conversation ends.

There are many areas of women's health that deserve a stronger voice — from endometriosis, PCOS and menopause to maternal and postpartum care, cancer, menstrual health, mental health, chronic pain and access to specialists.

Many women may have learnt to accept gaps in healthcare as simply part of life.

Painful periods are something to "put up with“.

Menopausal symptoms are something to "get through“.

Infertility is something families quietly struggle with.

Women can wait for answers. They may travel for treatment, pay out of pocket, and become their own researchers and advocates. For some, the barriers may ultimately feel overwhelming.

We should ask whether that is good enough.

I don't believe the answer is to assume that every woman has the same experience or that every issue has an easy solution. Nor do I believe that government, healthcare providers, insurers or individuals can solve these questions alone.

But I do believe that women should have a meaningful voice in determining what the problems are and which ones deserve our attention.

That starts with listening.

The questionnaire is an opportunity to do exactly that. Whether you have experienced infertility yourself, supported someone through it, work in healthcare or simply believe women deserve better access to care, I invite you to participate.

I also want to hear from women about the issues beyond IVF that they believe we need to address.

If we are serious about improving women's health, we need to know where the gaps are.

And if enough of us are willing to speak, listen and work together, perhaps we can move from individual stories to meaningful change.

This is not about speaking for women. It is about creating a space where women can speak for themselves.

So let's start the conversation.

Please take a few minutes to complete the questionnaire and share it with someone who may have a perspective to add.

What we do with what we learn will depend on what women tell us.

But first, we need to listen.

• Arianna Hodgson was a government senator and junior minister from 2020 to 2025