HOUSTON – For Dr. Chi Johnson, the room at the Rebuilding HER conference wasn’t just listening. It was exhaling.
Johnson, a Houston family medicine physician, joined a panel on women’s health during the three-day event, which centers on healing, growth and renewal. She spoke candidly both as a doctor and as a patient about infertility, a topic she calls a “silent struggle,” especially for Black women.
“The rebuild her community is amazing, it’s a safe space,” Johnson said. But what resonated most, she explained, was naming the reality many women keep private: feeling dismissed, feeling alone, and not knowing what questions to ask until it’s urgent.
“I KNEW SOMETHING WASN’T NORMAL”
In her early 30s, Johnson said she began experiencing symptoms she didn’t expect at her age: hot flashes, night sweats and profound fatigue. Early bloodwork didn’t raise alarms, and she said she felt brushed off.
The symptoms worsened, she said, until she pushed for a second opinion and more specific testing. That’s when she received a diagnosis that changed everything: primary ovarian insufficiency known as (POI).
“It meant my ovarian reserve was really low so low it was undetectable,” she said, adding that labs were repeated because the results seemed so unusual for her age.
Then came the part she says many women aren’t prepared for: being told motherhood might not happen the way she had always imagined.
“I was told there’s a less than 2% chance to conceive without any help,” Johnson recalled. “It was devastating.”
A MESSAGE TO WOMEN: PREPARE SOONER, ASK LOUDER:
Johnson said one of her goals in sharing her story is to push the fertility conversation earlier before a crisis point.
“Even in your 20s, you need to know your fertility status,” she said. “It helps you prepare for the future even if you’re not sure if you want to have kids.”
She also addressed what she described as a familiar barrier for Black women in healthcare: not being heard.
“I encourage women, especially Black women, to step up and make them listen,” she said. “And if they don’t listen, go somewhere else.”
Her advice is practical: write questions down, bring them to appointments, and leave with a plan not vague reassurance.
“YES, I AM CURRENTLY PREGNANT”
Johnson says the path to pregnancy wasn’t simple. She described multiple IVF cycles one that failed, one that resulted in pregnancy loss, and then a third that brought her to where she is now.
“Yes, I am currently pregnant,” she said. “We are 33 weeks and we’re going to expect a baby girl in about six weeks.”
She credited persistence, faith, and critically finding a fertility specialist who kept working with her to understand what went wrong and what could be done differently.
“It’s important to have a physician that is willing to try anything,” she said.
WARNING SIGNS AND A BROADER POINT:
When asked what symptoms should prompt women to get evaluated, Johnson pointed to heavy periods, severe menstrual pain, and anything that doesn’t feel “normal.” But she emphasized that you don’t need symptoms to start paying attention.
“I don’t feel like you have to have a warning sign to know your fertility status,” she said. “Every woman should know, and every woman should prepare.”
Different diagnoses like endometriosis, PCOS, or POI require different plans, she said. The starting point is getting answers.
“OWN YOUR HEALTH”
As she wrapped up, Johnson returned to a theme that framed her entire conversation.
“Listen to your bodies, and own your health,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to do your own research… prioritize your health. We have a beautiful life ahead.”