Hosts Fidel Martínez and Suzy Exposito dig into family planning: what it means for Latinos in 2026, why it's still taboo in our communities, and how much has changed in one generation. The conversation starts with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez openly sharing her process of freezing her eggs on Instagram, including the financial reality of paying out of pocket even as a member of Congress. Fidel and Suzy use that as a jumping-off point to break down the numbers: in 1950, the average woman in Latin America had 5.8 children. Today that number is 1.8. As the fertility rate declines in Latin America, Latinos in the U.S. are holding up the birth rate, accounting for 32% of all infants born. They also get personal. Suzy talks about growing up in a Catholic family where women got the sex ed talk, but not her brothers, and navigating family planning as a queer woman. Meanwhile, Fidel dives into having his first child at 40, and how his perspectives on becoming a father shifted after experiencing grief.
Hosts Fidel Martínez and Suzy Exposito dig into family planning: what it means for Latinos in 2026, why it's still taboo in our communities, and how much has changed in one generation.
The conversation starts with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez openly sharing her process of freezing her eggs on Instagram, including the financial reality of paying out of pocket even as a member of Congress. Fidel and Suzy use that as a jumping-off point to break down the numbers: in 1950, the average woman in Latin America had 5.8 children. Today that number is 1.8. As the fertility rate declines in Latin America, Latinos in the U.S. are holding up the birth rate, accounting for 32% of all infants born.
They also get personal. Suzy talks about growing up in a Catholic family where women got the sex ed talk, but not her brothers, and navigating family planning as a queer woman. Meanwhile, Fidel dives into having his first child at 40, and how his perspectives on becoming a father shifted after experiencing grief.
Produced by Los Angeles Times, L.A. Times Studios, and Sonoro.
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