ABSTRACT
Infertility affects the black community at the same rate as the majority population in the United States. The currently accepted medical definition of infertility is one year of unprotected intercourse without conception. Based on this definition, 10 to 20 percent of married couples in the United States will experience infertility. Data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics estimates that in 1990, 2.3 million couples had impaired fertility (Jaffe and Jewelewicz, 1991). These data are not collected by ethnic groups. Therefore, the exact incidence of infertility in the black population is unknown. The reported information has been obtained from fertility centers, nationally and generally, that serve middle-to upper-socioeconomic-status patients. Currently, no database on infertility in blacks exists. However, some authors assume that infertility rates are lower in black communities. In addition, one misconception is that tubal disease resulting from sexually transmitted disease is a more common infertility factor in black patients. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is threefold: to highlight this important area of study regarding the reproductive needs of AfricanAmerican families; to emphasize the need for larger, more systematic studies on black infertility and its impact in the communities and on families; and to provide basic information regarding methods for understanding and responding to infertility.
