Management of encounters related to subfertility and infertility in Australian general practice: a focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females

BMC Women's Health

Research

J. A. Boyle¹  E Gilbert²  S. Campbell²  A. Rumbold³  L. Grzeskowiak⁴ 

[1] Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia;Faculty of Health, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia;SAHMRI Women and Kids, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia;SAHMRI Women and Kids, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia;College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia;

关键词: General practice;    Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander;    Indigenous;    Infertility;    Fertility;    Reproductive health;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12905-023-02559-x

 received in 2023-03-22, accepted in 2023-07-20,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

ObjectiveTo investigate the management of subfertility and infertility among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females attending Australian general practice.MethodsCross-sectional study of 1,258,581 women (18–49 years) attending general practice between January 2011 and June 2019, utilising data from NPS MedicineWise MedicineInsight, a national general practice database in Australia.ResultsThe prevalence of subfertility/infertility encounters was lower for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females (12.37 per 1,000) than for non-Indigenous females (16.62 per 1,000). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females with a subfertility/infertility encounter were younger and more likely to live outside Major cities and in areas of socioeconomic disadvantage than non-Indigenous females. Rates of prescribed infertility medications were not different between groups, however Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females were more likely to receive a pelvic ultrasound (24.30% vs. 19.90%); tests for luteinizing hormone (31.89% vs. 25.65%); testosterone (14.93% vs. 9.96%) and; glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) (6.32% vs. 3.41%),but less likely to receive an anti-müllerian hormone test (2.78% vs. 7.04%).ConclusionsLower encounter rates for infertility/subfertility among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples may indicate access issues, preferred use of Aboriginal community-controlled health centres or younger average age at first birth and thus less age-related infertility.Implications for public healthFuture efforts should focus on maximising the inclusiveness of infertility surveillance. There is also a need for further research into the experiences of and preferences for infertility care and associated barriers among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature 2023

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Fig. 2