Ethnic group and reason for assisted reproductive technology failure: analysis of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority registry data from 2017 to 2018

The chance of achieving live birth after assisted reproductive technology (ART), either in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), differs by a woman’s ethnic background1. Women who are Asian or black have lower live birth rates than those who are white, and disparities exist across the fertility pathway2. Ethnicity is a complex exposure that could affect a woman’s chance of live birth for different reasons: socioeconomic disadvantage; poorer access to quality healthcare; or different health behaviours and healthcare expectations. Health inequalities arise from differences in the socioeconomic and environmental conditions of health between groups3.