New Research Shows 20 Years Of Trends Among Servicemembers Seeking Fertility Care
Highlights From the American Society For Reproductive Medicine’s 2023 Scientific Congress
New Orleans, LA – New research presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s (ASRM) Scientific Congress is examining the trends over the last 20 years in active duty and veteran servicemembers who sought fertility care by studying service history, medical history, and access to care.
The study evaluated 112 military servicemembers who sought fertility care at an academic, private urban fertility center between 2003 and 2022. The majority of servicemembers presented for consultation between 2015 and 2022. 102 servicemembers progressed to treatment, completing at least one treatment cycle. Of those who did not pursue treatment, 70% used military insurance. Of the servicemembers utilizing military insurance, the average time from consult to first cycle was half as long compared to those utilizing private insurance. 55.36% of servicemembers achieved at least one pregnancy and 46.43% achieved at least one live birth.
Researchers found an increasing trend in the number of fertility care consults by servicemembers over time. The data demonstrates “many servicemembers use alternate means outside of the military and VA health systems to build their families.”
“Accessing high-quality fertility care can be challenging for millions of our nation’s servicemembers. This research is an important tool for our government affairs team as they work to secure policies to improve coverage with the goal of supporting our troops’ ability to build their families” Said Ruben Alvero, MD, ASRM board member and veteran.
- P-125 Estevez et al “Supporting Our Troops: 20 Years Of Fertility Trends Among Active Duty And Veteran Servicemembers Seeking Fertility Care At A Major Urban Fertility Center”
To view these abstracts and more in full, please visit: https://www.fertstert.org/issue/S0015-0282(23)X0012-0
