Infertility, Fertility Preservation, and Access to Care During Training: A Nationwide Multispecialty Survey of United States Residents and Fellows

Purpose. To investigate the prevalence of and experience related to infertility and fertility preservation during training for United States (US) medical residents and fellows. Methods. Cross-sectional online-based survey study of US postgraduate residents and fellows. Results. Respondents included 732 residents and fellows, with the highest percentage in Obstetrics & Gynecology (24.2%), Pediatrics (14.1%), and Internal Medicine (13.9%). In total, over half of respondents (56.6%) reported delaying childbearing plans due to medical training, 51 (7.0%) reported infertility, while 11 (1.5%) reported recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). 208 respondents (28.4%) had considered oocyte or embryo cryopreservation. Respondents reported lack of time/flexibility (35.4%) and financial concerns (29.4%) as the top reasons for being unable to pursue fertility treatment. Conclusions. The majority of residents and fellows in our survey delayed childbearing due to medical training, with time/flexibility and financial concerns the greatest barriers to fertility treatment during training. Specific measures are needed in order to increase access to fertility services for US medical trainees.