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Female Physicians Report Insurance Barriers to Fertility Treatment

Published by AJMC. Read the full article.

Female physicians identified cost and access barriers to fertility care, which are especially relevant as more US women are choosing to delay childrearing.

clinical opinion article published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology evaluated cost and access barriers to fertility care among female physicians, with researchers proposing solutions that may help make the process more feasible and inclusive.

“Facing an infertility diagnosis while being a female physician presents a real and relevant struggle for 1 in 4 women. Currently, there is a gross absence of adequate fertility insurance coverage for all female physicians,” the authors wrote.

Over the past 2 decades, more women have chosen to delay having children. This is especially relevant in female physicians who are delaying childrearing by 7 years more than the general population, one study found. The article associates this statistic with economic burden, or “financial toxicity,” and a lack of insurance coverage.

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