Legacies of Mistrust?

Abstract

Abstract On average, over 1 in 10 women in the United States have difficulty getting pregnant and carrying a pregnancy to full term, with women of color experiencing infertility at nearly twice the rate of non-Hispanic white women. Although infertility rates are significantly higher within Black and Latino communities, treatment and success rates are significantly lower. We seek to understand whether views of in vitro fertilization (IVF, a common reproductive technology), particularly within communities of color, are shaped by a broader skepticism about new medical technology. Using data from a 2013 national survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, we measure medical mistrust across racial/ethnic groups and test whether these beliefs are associated with views toward IVF.