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Racial and Ethnic Groups of Interest in Fertility Research

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Ethnic Differences in Fertility and Assisted Reproduction

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Abstract

The National Institutes of Health, to further the goal of reducing and ultimately eliminating health disparities in the USA, requires collection and reporting of data on race and ethnicity for all supported clinical research. Collecting this data requires an agreed upon definition of “race,” which is a difficult undertaking. The NIH uses the same categories as other US federal agencies, but these are meant to be a social-political construct and are not biologically based. Only 10–15 % of genetic variation is found between groups (rather than between individuals), and those single nucleotide polymorphisms that have relatively different frequencies between groups are called Ancestry Informative Markers. These may be of use in categorizing research participants. Ongoing extensive research into Developmental Origins of Health and Disease provides a framework for an epigenetic, transgenerational source of health disparities in disadvantaged groups. Intervention is urgent, as poor health is likely carried forward for generations to come.

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to acknowledge Dr. Alan Decherney and Dr. Richard Reindollar for mentorship and guidance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, 1 Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH, 03756, USA

    Ellen H. Goldstein M.D.

  2. Program in Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology, NICHD, National Institutes of Health, 10 CRC, Room 1E-3140, 10 Center Drive, MSC 1109, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1109, USA

    James H. Segars M.D.

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  1. Ellen H. Goldstein M.D.
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Correspondence to James H. Segars M.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Ob/Gyn, George Washington University, Sunset Hills Road 11150, Reston, 20190, Virginia, USA

    Fady I. Sharara

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Goldstein, E.H., Segars, J.H. (2013). Racial and Ethnic Groups of Interest in Fertility Research. In: Sharara, F. (eds) Ethnic Differences in Fertility and Assisted Reproduction. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7548-4_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7548-4_2

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