This post may contain affiliate links which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through links. Learn more on the Private Policy page.
This is a topic that can be contentious. Being a black woman going through an IVF journey, my thoughts often turn to IVF and ethnicity.
But can race really impact my fertility treatment outcome, and is there even an issue?
We absolutely need to talk about: IVF and ethnicity.
In this post, I am going to explore these areas, and we will be discussing which race infertility affects the most.
According to the HFEA’s research (their latest data is between 2014-2018), Black African and South Asian patients had lower birth rates with embryo transfer.
On the other hand, Caucasian and Mixed ethnicity patients had much higher birth rates.
Interestingly, recent research has found South Asian women had poorer IVF success with fresh embryo transfer.
Let’s now have a look at age differences, ethnicity and IVF outcomes.
According to the same research by HFEA, Caucasian and Mixed ethnicity patients aged 30-34 years had an average of 30% of live birth rates with embryos transferred.
Whereas, Black patients in the same age group had a lower average live birth rate with embryos transferred at 23%.
You, like myself, are wondering why Black and South Asian patients have much lower IVF birth rates compared to Caucasian and Mixed ethnicity patients.
The reasons for this are pretty complicated and there are so many factors involved.
There is much research which suggests that Black patients are three times more likely to have fibroids which are correlated with less success in IVF outcomes.
Fibroids are non-cancerous tumours commonly found in or around the uterus (womb).
There is also research that has found other factors involved in lower IVF birth rates in ethnic minority patients.
This study used a cohort of women who were undergoing their first IVF cycle utilising fresh embryo transfer only.
Similar research has found that South Asian and Black women who used fresh embryo transfers had poorer IVF outcomes than Caucasian women. However, there was no significant difference in IVF outcomes in all ethnicities with frozen embryo transfer.
Although it is impossible for us to change our ethnicity, it is possible for us, to some extent, to reduce the influence such factors have on our fertility treatment outcomes.
Of course, these factors and ethnicity are incredibly complicated, and it would be too simplistic of us to suggest fixing one factor will increase our fertility success.
However, understanding the importance of reducing factors such as obesity and BMI as well as increasing our knowledge of symptoms of common conditions such as PCOS, fibroids, and endometriosis is still vital.
Essentially, IVF and ethnicity are two important areas that should be discussed with your fertility clinic. There is medical evidence to show that certain conditions are common in certain ethnic groups.
So – it makes sense to discuss anything that could impact your treatment and ask the clinic what steps can be made to improve your chances of a positive fertility cycle.
There is a lot of debate and conversation surrounding these topics. Following us on social media and joining the conversation will help you stay up-to-date on the latest information and resources.
IVF and Ethnicity – Can Our Race Really Impact How Successful IVF Treatment Is?
Other Post You Might Like:
⭐ The Facts About What Role Does Vitamin D Play In Fertility & Should I Be Taking it?
⭐ We Need To Have A Conversation About: HOW TO BOOST FERTILITY IN YOUR 40s – Let’s Do It In 8 Steps
FOLLOW ME:
Sources
HFEA
Mascarenhas, M., Kulkarni, M. and Balen, A., 2020. Can the ethnic differences in IVF cycle outcome be influenced by the impact of BMI?. Human Fertility, 23(4), pp.275-281.
Mascarenhas, M. and Balen, A.H., 2019. Could ethnicity have a different effect on fresh and frozen embryo transfer outcomes: a retrospective study. Reproductive BioMedicine Online, 39(5), pp.764-769.
This blog is written based on my own personal experience. The views shared are my own and do not represent the views of any third parties. I have no medical training and I am not trained in fertility or IVF. I simply share my journey with IVF to support others with the aim to create a supportive community so that experiences and information can be shared. From time to time, I may refer to scientific research or academic papers, these should be used as information only. At no time should you rely on any of the information across this blog as medical advice. You should not delay in seeking medical advice as a result of something you read on this site. You should always seek medical advice from a medical professional to support you.