A close friend of mine asked me to give thought to communicating the value of your donation. Your feedback is very important to me as we build our network so I welcome your insight and suggestions like this one.

After having spent over a decade in the healthcare industry space, the disparities in care between racial groups is an important issue to me. Data shows that the use of fertility diagnostic testing and treatment varies by race. An analysis from the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) data showed that among women who reported using medical services to conceive, similar percentages of Black (69%), Hispanic (70%) and White (75%) women received fertility advice. However, less than half (47%) of Black and Hispanic women who sought fertility advice to become pregnant reported receiving infertility testing, compared to 62% of White women. What’s more is even fewer women of color received treatment services. The cost and limited insurance coverage for infertility treatment perhaps makes infertility treatment inaccessible to many people of color who need treatment, but are unable to afford it.

I can recall at least one provider remarking to me that I was very informed and they didn’t have many patients like me. Like me? There are several avenues for fertility assistance like alternatives to IVF such as acupuncture or “fertility diets” but many services, even acupuncture, are out of reach for most people because of cost. The value of your donation is so much more than funding grants. Our Foundation endeavors to better understand the socioeconomic barriers and misconceptions that may discourage women “like me” from seeking fertility assistance.

For more on the data discussed above visit https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/coverage-and-use-of-fertility-services-in-the-u-s/