Women from ethnic minority backgrounds may face a tougher task than other women becoming pregnant through fertility treatment, researchers say today.
A woman of white European origin is about 20% more likely than a woman of ethnic minority background to become pregnant through treatment, according to the new study.
Researchers at Nottingham University, UK, studied more than 1,500 women, of whom 85% were white Europeans.
They found that 43.8% of the white women successfully gave birth to live babies – while just 35% of ethnic minority women were successful, they report in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
The researchers say they do not know the reason for the difference – which could be genetic or cultural.
Researcher Dr Walid Maalouf said: “The reason for the reduced implantation rates and subsequent reduced outcomes in the ethnic minority group is still unclear. Further research into genetic background as a potential determinant of IVF outcome, as well as the influencing effects of lifestyle and cultural factors on reproductive outcomes, is needed.
“Subsequently, these findings could be used to modify clinical strategies in fertility treatments to increase success rates among all ethnic minority groups.”
Journal editor John Thorp said: "Evidence of more realistic success rates of women undergoing fertility treatment could be used to encourage women from ethnic backgrounds to seek treatment earlier and improve the likelihood of a positive pregnancy outcome.”
Effect of Ethnicity on Live Birth Rates after In Vitro Fertilisation or Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection Treatment. BJOG 6 November 2013 [abstract]
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