Struggling with Infertility

IVF is one of the most successful forms of assisted reproductive technology, SELF previously reported, but it’s not an easy path. According to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, the live birth rate for an IVF cycle is 55.6% for people under 35, 40.8% for people between 35 and 37 years old, and around 4.1% for those over 42.

What’s more, is the process is as fraught and problematic for Black women as the rest of health care.

Research published in Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology in 2020 analyzed 122,721 embryo cycles from 2014 to 2016, including 13,717 cycles from Black women and 109,004 cycles from white women. Researchers found that Black women who undergo fertility treatment have markedly worse outcomes than their white counterparts. They have a lower live birth rate for the initial cycle, independent of factors such as age, ovarian reserve, past miscarriages, or the number of embryos transferred.

The fertility industry, like much of health care, has a racial disparity problem. Why? Racism is part of the equation. There’s the general assumption—even among frontline doctors—that Black women are hyper-fertile, and this exacerbates the biases Black patients experience,

What can be done?

Education & Advocacy

Education and knowledge are always at the front line of any cultural change. The Alcea team believes that change can happen, but you have to make it happen. So we advocate for Black, Indigenous, and people of color to get fair and thorough treatments through their surrogacy journey. We offer a diverse and inclusive pool of surrogates and work to stop the bias through our relationships with healthcare providers of all kinds and partners like Fertility for Colored Girls. Knowledge is power; let your voice be heard. Let’s make a change together.