Latinx and IVF

Latinx and disparities in access to infertility care…

  • Latinx women are less likely to seek infertility care than White women, and those who do, are less likely to pursue treatment for their infertility

  • Even when the cost of assisted reproductive technology (ART) is reduced or covered by insurance, the use of ART did not increase in Latinx patients

 
 

What are the barriers that impede access to infertility care for Latinx patients?

    • Financial hurdles alone are likely not the major barrier for access to infertility care

    • Studies find that state mandated coverage for infertility care, military lower ART cost, and health insurance coverage for ART did not significantly increase infertility services utilization in Latinx patients compared to White patients [1]

  • A survey on disparities in access to fertility care found that Latinx women have to travel twice as far as White and Asian/Pacific Islander women for fertility care. [2]

  • Latinx patients are 2x more likely than White patients to report being very worried about using science and technology to conceive , and were more likely to report worry about violating religious beliefs [3]

  • The ability to afford infertility treatment is only part of the puzzle. The other components that patients undergoing infertility treatment must also be able to do include [4]:

    • ability to take substantial time off from work for office visits

    • ability to travel to medical facilities that may be geographically distant

What are the disparities seen in existing infertility outcomes data for Latinx mothers?

  • In 2010, Latinx women were 13% less likely than White women to have a live birth as their pregnancy outcome, and were more likely than White women to have preterm deliveries and low birth weight infants [5].

  • In more recent ART data, from 2014 to 2016 the findings were similar to 2010. Latinx women compared to White women still had significantly lower cumulative live birth rates compared to White women [6].

Resources to empower your IVF journey

  • Build your team early. Do not wait to discuss your fertility with your primary care provider, to seek help from a fertility specialist, and find providers you are comfortable with. Do not be afraid to switch providers if you feel your voice is not being heard, if you feel you are not being listened to.

  • Get a second opinion. If a provider refuses treatment or test you think is appropriate, ask them to document their refusal including specifics, and get a second opinion.

 

Last Reviewed: September 21, 2023