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Utilization of infertility services: how much does money matter?
J Farley Ordovensky Staniec1, Natalie J Webb
1Department of Economics, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, USA.
Health Services Research
|May 11, 2007
Summary
Financial access significantly impacts infertility treatment decisions for women. Income and insurance influence choices, with higher-income individuals more likely to pursue advanced treatments like assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs).
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Health Economics
- Sociology of Health
Background:
- Infertility affects a significant portion of women of childbearing age.
- Access to and utilization of infertility treatments can be influenced by socioeconomic factors.
- Understanding these influences is crucial for equitable healthcare provision.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine how financial access and individual characteristics affect the likelihood of women seeking infertility treatment.
- To analyze the impact of these factors on the specific types of infertility treatments chosen.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth, focusing on 1,210 infertile or subfecund women.
- Employed binomial and multinomial logistic regression models to analyze treatment-seeking behavior and choices.
- Examined the influence of income, insurance coverage, age, and parity on treatment decisions.
Main Results:
- Income, insurance, age, and parity significantly influence the probability of seeking infertility treatment.
- Treatment choices vary: income strongly affects assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) pursuit, while insurance has minimal impact on ARTs.
- Financial access positively correlates with pursuing mid-spectrum treatments like testing, surgery, and medications.
Conclusions:
- Financial access plays a critical role in women's decisions regarding infertility treatment utilization.
- Socioeconomic factors differentially impact the choice between various infertility treatment options.
- Policy implications may involve addressing financial barriers to ensure broader access to desired fertility care.
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