The following is a summary of “Racial and Socioeconomic Characteristics of Men Using Mail-in Semen Testing Kits in the United States,” published in the October 2023 issue of Urology by Sellke, et al.
For a study, researchers sought to characterize the racial and socioeconomic profiles of men utilizing mail-in semen testing kits for fertility care in the United States over a three-year period.
A cross-sectional analysis was performed on men who utilized mail-in semen analyses from a singular direct-to-consumer (DTC) fertility platform between 2020 and 2022. User questionnaires provided age, race/ethnicity, residence, and education level data. The Area Deprivation Index (ADI) estimated socioeconomic status at the zip code level. The characteristics were compared to the overall U.S. population.
A total of 4,342 men completed the questionnaire and used mail-in semen analyses from a single DTC fertility company between 2020 and 2022. The median age was 36 years. The majority were white (72%), with 7.9% Asian, 5.1% Black, 3.2% Hispanic, 0.4% Indian American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.8% mixed race, and 2.8% from other groups. Regarding education, 45.8% had completed college, 22% had a master’s degree, and 9% had a doctoral degree. The mean ADI was 83.47, significantly lower than the average ADI of 100 for the general U.S. population (P < .005).
While DTC mail-in semen analyses can enhance access to affordable fertility care, there is an underrepresentation of racial and ethnic minorities and individuals from lower socioeconomic classes compared to those seeking in-office fertility care. Further investigations were warranted to understand the factors contributing to these disparities.
Source: goldjournal.net/article/S0090-4295(23)00666-0/fulltext