Asian ethnicity is associated with decreased pregnancy rates following intrauterine insemination

Asian ethnicity has been associated with decreased pregnancy outcomes in patients undergoing IVF. The objective of this study was to determine if a difference exists in pregnancy rates between Asian and Caucasian patients undergoing intrauterine insemination (IUI). A retrospective cohort of Asian and Caucasian patients treated with IUI between December 2002 and 2006 was analysed, including 2327 IUI cycles among 814 patients. Baseline characteristics were similar between Asian and Caucasian women. A significantly greater proportion of Asians (43.9%) presented for treatment after more than 2 years of infertility compared with Caucasians (24.6%) (P < 0.0001). Unadjusted analysis showed a trend towards decreased pregnancy rates associated with Asian ethnicity (odds ratio (OR) 0.71, 95% CI 0.50–1.01, not statistically significant). Age, stimulation protocol, differences in gravity and parity, and duration of infertility did not account for this difference (adjusted OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.47–0.98, P = 0.039). Asian ethnicity is associated with lower pregnancy rates in IUI treatment. The increased duration of infertility in Asians does not explain the reduced pregnancy rates.