Health disparities of African Americans in reproductive medicine.

ABSTRACT

The first paper describing an association between African American race, infertility prevalence, and outcomes of fertility treatments was published more than 20 years ago, calling initial attention to differences in how infertility is experienced, diagnosed, and managed in African Americans. Since that initial publication, multiple other studies have explored African American race and its association with elements of the fertility spectrum-disparities that have been durable over time. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of the evolution of aspects of this research focusing on the outcomes of infertility treatments and barriers to access. A consideration of the system-based practice issues that interface with timely fertility evaluation and treatment in ways that challenge reproductive health equity will be presented.