Equity and Access in Fertility Care

In early April 2023, the World Health Organization released a new report that suggests one in six adults – or roughly 17.5% of the world’s adult population – will be affected by infertility in their lifetime. Despite how common infertility is, access to treatment in the United States is inconsistent. This week (April 23-29, 2023) is National Infertility Awareness Week. For this episode of the Women’s Healthcast, we wanted to focus on equity and access in the infertility world. First, we’ll hear from Dr. Kate Schoyer, a reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist in the Medical College of Wisconsin Department of Ob-Gyn, about whether everyone in the U.S. has equitable access to fertility care, what kinds of barriers may stand in the way of building a family, and what would need to change to make sure that those one in six adults can take advantage of needed fertility services. Then we’ll hear from a Wisconsin couple – Karron and Brian – about how the financial realities of fertility care in the U.S. impacted their treatment journey. IVF – American Society for Reproductive Medicine ICSI – American Society for Reproductive Medicine Coverage and Use of Fertility Services in the U.S. – Kaiser Family Foundation Resolve.org Building Families Alliance Wisconsin Have a suggestion for a future episode? Let us know what health issues you'd like to learn about here! https://forms.gle/XaoArBtnxfHxA4Up7