Fertility and Sterility
Volume 92, Issue 1, 2009, Pages 116-123

The challenge of providing infertility services to a low-income immigrant Latino population (Article)

Nachtigall R.D.* , Castrillo M. , Shah N. , Turner D. , Harrington J. , Jackson R.
  • a Institute for Health and Aging, University of California-San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, United States, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, United States
  • b Institute for Health and Aging, University of California-San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, United States
  • c Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
  • d Institute for Health and Aging, University of California-San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, United States
  • e Institute for Health and Aging, University of California-San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, United States
  • f Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, United States

Abstract

Objective: To provide insight into the experience of low-income immigrant Latino couples seeking infertility treatment. Design: Qualitative interview study. Setting: Infertility clinic at a university-affiliated urban public teaching hospital. Patient(s): Infertile low-income immigrant Latino couples (105 women and 40 men). Intervention(s): In-depth, tape-recorded interviews. Main Outcome Measure(s): After transcription and translation, the interviews were coded and analyzed for thematic content. Result(s): Four major challenges to providing infertility services to this population were identified: [1] communication: language and cultural barriers resulted in patients having difficulty both in understanding diagnoses and treatments and in communicating their questions, concerns, and experiences to physicians; [2] continuity: because medical students and residents rotated frequently, patients usually saw a different physician at each visit; [3] bureaucracy: patients reported having difficulty with appointment scheduling, follow-up visits, and timed laboratory procedures; and [4] accessibility: patients faced issues of limited availability and affordability of treatment. Conclusion(s): At a large, urban, university-affiliated infertility clinic, challenges related to communication, comprehension, continuity, bureaucracy, accessibility, availability, and affordability impeded the delivery of optimal infertility care to many low-income immigrant Latino patients. A greater availability of translators and both patient and physician cultural orientations to address these health care barriers is recommended. © 2009 American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

Author Keywords

Health care disparities Infertility Latinos Low-income

Index Keywords

infertility urban area Reproductive Techniques, Assisted immigrant lowest income group poverty university hospital interpersonal communication follow up human middle aged priority journal language San Francisco Hispanic Americans resident Young Adult health care cost Humans Hispanic Adolescent Infertility, Male Interviews as Topic male Emigrants and Immigrants female cultural factor Article major clinical study adult health care access Infertility, Female medical student Health Services Accessibility infertility therapy health care delivery Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-55349085733&doi=10.1016%2fj.fertnstert.2008.05.037&partnerID=40&md5=5ebdb1db609b4fef374eff50bd75a341
DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.05.037
ISSN: 00150282
Cited by: 34
Original Language: English