N A T I O N A LW O M E N ' SL A W C E N T E R\ Partnership for Southern Equity•TOGETHER W£ PJtOSPEkAPRIL 2 0 2 5IFACT SHEETThe Importance of Equitable Accessto Fertility Care for Black WomenFertility care is necessary reproductive health care that helps individuals and couples have childrenorpreserve their ability to have children in the future. But these services are often prohibitively expensive, andBlack women, who are both more likely to experience infertility and have fewer financial resources,, facedisproportionate banners to accessing this critical cane. Comprehensive fertility coverage, which reducesfinancial barriers and improves access to this necessary care, is critical for the advancement o f reproductivejustice for Black women.Fertility Challenges for Black WomenBlack women experience disproportionately high rates of infertility.In the United States, non-Hispanic Black women are almosttwice aslikelyas either Hispanic or non-Hispanic white women to experience infertility.' Black women have higher incidences of medicalconditions that can cause infertility, such as uterine fibroids,3a condition that can increase infertility riskand contribute t o adverse pregnancy outcomes. Black women also experience higher rates of tubal factorinfertility than white women.3Tubal factor infertility can be caused by a range of conditions, includingpelvic inflammatory disease and endometriosis.1Pelvic inflammatory disease is more prevalent i n Blackwomen/ and endometriosis i n Black women is commonly misdiagnosed as pelvic inflammatory diseaseand inadequately treated/ likely due to implicit and explicit racial and gender bias in health cane.’ Blackwomen are also more likely to be exposed to environmental toxins that harm fertility, such as industrialpollutants and water contaminated with lead or endocrine-disrupting chemicals/Access to fertility care is critical for Black women across varied identities andcircumstances—including forcisgender and transgender Black women and those with orwithout partners.-Black women may require timely referral and treatment for infertility-related conditions like uterinefibroids/-Black women may be unable t o achieve pregnancy with their partner and require fertilitymedications or treatments like i n vitro fertilization (IMF) or intrauterine insemination.■Black women i n LGBTQ+- couples or who are single may need to use donor eggs or sperm, donatedembryos, or even work with a surrogate t o achieve pregnancy.•Fertility preservation services may b e needed to protect or save eggs, sperm, or other reproductivetissue, including before medical treatments that may cause a risk of impairment to fertility, such asgender affirming care or chemotherapy or radiation for cancer.111•1150 I STREET N WSUITE 7 0 0WASHINGTON, D C 20005Preview Mode
This document has 5 pages. Sign in to access the full document!