Fertility NZ Research Shows Māori And Pacific People Face Barriers To Treatment

A new study has found Māori and Pacific people who experience infertility face barriers accessing treatment.

Barriers include Body Mass Index (BMI) restrictions, which prevent referrals to fertility clinics and access to public funding. The study also found that fertility services can at times feel culturally constrained. The use of medicalised language and unfamiliar procedures was highlighted as an area that could be handled with better clarity and sensitivity.

Commissioned by Fertility New Zealand (Fertility NZ) and undertaken by Te Pūtahi o Pūtaiao ki Waipapa Taumata Rau (The Centre for Kaupapa Māori Science at The University of Auckland).

The study aims to provide understanding of the experiences of infertility for Māori and Pacific people. It shows that the cultural expectations of having children, areas of silence around Māori and Pacific sexuality and reproduction, and feelings of whakamā (shame), mean that people facing fertility challenges can feel isolated and unsupported on their journey. It also concludes that there is a need for Māori and Pacific healing pathways to be made known, supported, resourced, and accessible to all.

“The research builds from prior research in the field to speak to our current social and technological context”, says Jade Le Grice, the lead researcher based at the University of Auckland.

“Having a child is a culturally significant event in Māori and Pacific cultures, contributing to relational networks of family in the present, and into the future. However, difficulties conceiving and maintaining a pregnancy can pierce through these ideals, rupturing all that we thought we knew about ourselves, the world, our relationships, and our futures.

Encountering support services that feel culturally jarring, remind us of unpleasant healthcare interactions, or by which we are altogether excluded from – only compound the confusion, pain, and isolation caused by infertility. The voices of our Māori and Pacific participants – together, share powerful messages about how infertility can impact us, as well as the incredible capacity and potential within our knowledge systems to bring about healing and cultural meaning making.” explains Dr Le Grice.

“This important mahi is a step towards understanding the experiences of Māori and Pacific people. Fertility New Zealand is so grateful for the taonga of this research, which we hope will help pave the way for culturally appropriate care and support for Māori and Pacific Peoples during their fertility experience.” says Lydia Hemingway, CEO, Fertility NZ.

“We know that in the public funding setting when a woman’s BMI exceeds 32 it severely impacts her ability to access funding, even if that’s not the primary source of her infertility. We know this disproportionately affects Māori/Pacific women.”

“Fertility NZ will continue to raise awareness, with the ultimate goal of increasing equity of access to fertility treatment for Māori and Pacific people in Aotearoa, in the longer term.

“We believe that everyone has the right to create the whānau of their dreams, but one in four New Zealanders will experience fertility challenges. Infertility is stressful, scary and daunting, so being treated with kindness, empathy and cultural sensitivity is vital.” says Ms Hemingway.

Fertility NZ aims to represent the diverse issues and concerns of people in Aotearoa New Zealand who experience infertility. The commissioning of this important research centres on tangata whenua, the indigenous people of this land, and highlights tangata moana, with whom we have unique relationships in the Pacific.

Fertility New Zealand is a nationwide registered charity. Our mission is to walk alongside all people facing fertility challenges. We do this through in person and online support groups, information and education. In our advocacy work we represent the voice of consumers to decision makers responsible for the laws, guidelines and funding for these critical services.

Our vision is that everyone gets the support they need during their fertility experience. One in four people in Aotearoa, New Zealand will be impacted by infertility in their lifetime. The wellbeing of our community as they navigate building a family in Aotearoa is our central focus.

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