Body Size, Fertility, and Reproductive Justice: Examining the Complex Interplay between BMI, Reproductive Health, and Access to Care
The relationship between obesity and reproduction is highly complex. While there are clear obstetrical and fertility risks associated with elevated BMI, it is less clear how weight loss impacts these outcomes. Increasingly, patients considered obese according to BMI are being denied access to fertil...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-04-01
|
| Series: | Women |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4184/2/2/11 |
| _version_ | 1797481201542365184 |
|---|---|
| author | Breonna Slocum Adrienne Shami Samantha B. Schon |
| author_facet | Breonna Slocum Adrienne Shami Samantha B. Schon |
| author_sort | Breonna Slocum |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The relationship between obesity and reproduction is highly complex. While there are clear obstetrical and fertility risks associated with elevated BMI, it is less clear how weight loss impacts these outcomes. Increasingly, patients considered obese according to BMI are being denied access to fertility care, thus leaving them without treatment options for their disease (infertility). Notably, BMI cutoffs disproportionately affect historically marginalized populations in the United States and people of lower socioeconomic status (SES). This paper uses a reproductive justice framework to discuss access to reproductive healthcare based on BMI. In doing so, we connect obesity to larger systems of structural inequalities. We conclude that rather than strict BMI cutoffs, a more holistically patient-centered approach is appropriate taking into account the overall health of the individual, available scientific data, clinical capabilities, and the patient’s value system. This will ultimately make reproductive medicine more accessible to all patients. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:11:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-29be0e79c8724b9baee4715c7d07dae6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-4184 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:11:07Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Women |
| spelling | doaj.art-29be0e79c8724b9baee4715c7d07dae62023-11-23T19:31:01ZengMDPI AGWomen2673-41842022-04-01229310110.3390/women2020011Body Size, Fertility, and Reproductive Justice: Examining the Complex Interplay between BMI, Reproductive Health, and Access to CareBreonna Slocum0Adrienne Shami1Samantha B. Schon2Division of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USAHuman Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USADivision of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USAThe relationship between obesity and reproduction is highly complex. While there are clear obstetrical and fertility risks associated with elevated BMI, it is less clear how weight loss impacts these outcomes. Increasingly, patients considered obese according to BMI are being denied access to fertility care, thus leaving them without treatment options for their disease (infertility). Notably, BMI cutoffs disproportionately affect historically marginalized populations in the United States and people of lower socioeconomic status (SES). This paper uses a reproductive justice framework to discuss access to reproductive healthcare based on BMI. In doing so, we connect obesity to larger systems of structural inequalities. We conclude that rather than strict BMI cutoffs, a more holistically patient-centered approach is appropriate taking into account the overall health of the individual, available scientific data, clinical capabilities, and the patient’s value system. This will ultimately make reproductive medicine more accessible to all patients.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4184/2/2/11obesityreproductive health careinfertilityreproductive justice |
| spellingShingle | Breonna Slocum Adrienne Shami Samantha B. Schon Body Size, Fertility, and Reproductive Justice: Examining the Complex Interplay between BMI, Reproductive Health, and Access to Care Women obesity reproductive health care infertility reproductive justice |
| title | Body Size, Fertility, and Reproductive Justice: Examining the Complex Interplay between BMI, Reproductive Health, and Access to Care |
| title_full | Body Size, Fertility, and Reproductive Justice: Examining the Complex Interplay between BMI, Reproductive Health, and Access to Care |
| title_fullStr | Body Size, Fertility, and Reproductive Justice: Examining the Complex Interplay between BMI, Reproductive Health, and Access to Care |
| title_full_unstemmed | Body Size, Fertility, and Reproductive Justice: Examining the Complex Interplay between BMI, Reproductive Health, and Access to Care |
| title_short | Body Size, Fertility, and Reproductive Justice: Examining the Complex Interplay between BMI, Reproductive Health, and Access to Care |
| title_sort | body size fertility and reproductive justice examining the complex interplay between bmi reproductive health and access to care |
| topic | obesity reproductive health care infertility reproductive justice |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4184/2/2/11 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT breonnaslocum bodysizefertilityandreproductivejusticeexaminingthecomplexinterplaybetweenbmireproductivehealthandaccesstocare AT adrienneshami bodysizefertilityandreproductivejusticeexaminingthecomplexinterplaybetweenbmireproductivehealthandaccesstocare AT samanthabschon bodysizefertilityandreproductivejusticeexaminingthecomplexinterplaybetweenbmireproductivehealthandaccesstocare |