Infertility is increased among black women
Infertility affects at least 12 percent of all women up to the age of 44, and studies suggest black women may be almost twice as likely to experience infertility as white women. In this population-based sample, black women were more likely than white women to have experienced infertility. Black women have generally a 1.5-2 fold increased odds of infertility as compared with whites after adjustment for socioeconomic position (education and ability to pay for basics), correlates of pregnancy intent (marital status and hormonal contraceptive use), and risk factors for infertility (age, smoking, testosterone, fibroid presence, and ovarian volume).
This disparity is not explained by common risk factors for infertility such as smoking and obesity, and among non-surgically sterile women, it is not explained by gynecologic risk factors such as fibroids and ovarian volume.
Black women are less likely to talk about or report infertility
Studies have shown that black women are less likely to speak about or seek help for infertility when compared to women in other cultures and communities: Only 8% of black women seek medical help to get pregnant compared to 15% of white women. But it can also be attributed to the historic belief that infertility doesn't exist within the black community. This idea has been so deeply rooted in the culture that moms and aunts don't talk to their daughters about fertility issues. Then when a woman does experience them, she feels too much guilt and shame to bring it up, even to a doctor.
Sperm counts are decreased among black men
In men, fertility is directly related to sperm parameters. Several studies have shown that black men had lower mean semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm count, and total motile sperm than white or Hispanic/Latino men. Read more here.
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