Asian women are less likely to express interest in infertility research

ObjectivesTo assess the differences among racial and ethnic groups in their willingness to participate in medical infertility research. We further explored these differences within racial and ethnic subcategories to gain a broader understanding of minority patients' willingness to participate in infertility research.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingUniversity fertility center.Patient(s)One thousand forty-nine women presenting for reproductive care.Intervention(s)None.Main Outcome Measure(s)Willingness to be contacted for recruitment to ongoing research.Result(s)Asians were less likely than non-Hispanic Whites to express willingness to be contacted regarding research (odds ratio 0.44, 95% confidence interval 0.33; 0.57), as were Middle Eastern women. Decreased willingness was seen in all Asian subcategories except Vietnamese. Women born outside the United States were less likely to consent to be contacted than those born in the United States.Conclusion(s)Asian and Middle Eastern patients are less likely than non-Hispanic Whites to express interest in research participation in the infertility clinic setting. Strategies to target these women for research recruitment are necessary to achieve parity in both research participation and assisted reproductive technology outcomes.