ART utilization: an indicator of access to infertility care

Silke Dyer; Georgina M Chambers; G David Adamson; Manish Banker; Jacques De Mouzon; Osamu Ishihara; Markus Kupka; Ragaa Mansour; Fernando Zegers-Hochschild

doi:10.1016/j.rbmo.2020.03.007

ART utilization: an indicator of access to infertility care

Reprod Biomed Online. 2020 Jul;41(1):6-9. doi: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2020.03.007. Epub 2020 Mar 14.

Authors

Silke Dyer¹, Georgina M Chambers², G David Adamson³, Manish Banker⁴, Jacques De Mouzon⁵, Osamu Ishihara⁶, Markus Kupka⁷, Ragaa Mansour⁸, Fernando Zegers-Hochschild⁹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Groote Schuur Hospital and Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. Electronic address: silke.dyer@uct.ac.za.
² National Perinatal Epidemiology and Statistics Unit, Centre for Big Data Research in Health, School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
³ Equal3 Fertility, Cupertino, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, and University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, California, USA.
⁴ Nova IVI Fertility, Ahmedabad Gujarat, India.
⁵ Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale Service de Gynecologie Obstetrique II et de Medecine de la Reproduction, Groupe Hospitalier Cochin-Saint Vincet de Paul, Paris, France.
⁶ Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Saitama Medical University, Moroyama, Japan.
⁷ Fertility Centre, Gynaecologikum Hamburg, Germany.
⁸ Egyptian IVF-ET Center, Cairo, Egypt.
⁹ Clinica las Condes and Program of Ethics and Public Policies in Human Reproduction, University Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile.

PMID: 32448672
DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2020.03.007

Abstract

This commentary outlines the importance of utilizing assisted reproductive technology (ART) as an indicator of access to infertility care and provides a standard way of reporting utilization to facilitate international comparisons. Factors that influence ART utilization as well as underlying inequalities and inequities in access to care are discussed. The relevance of a marker that can inform and evaluate policy initiatives, monitor progress and document change is emphasized.

Keywords: Access; Assisted reproductive technology; Demography; Infertility; Registry; Utilization.

MeSH terms

Female
Health Services Accessibility / statistics & numerical data*
Humans
Infertility / therapy*
Patient Acceptance of Health Care / statistics & numerical data*
Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / statistics & numerical data*