4. Identify family/community barriers: Infertility is regarded in many communities as a personal issue and declaration by individuals of their infertile status can lead to stigmatisation.
Social factors are strong drivers for fertility treatment, yet in most settings fertility treatment is a very personal event not for public discussion. This can sometimes prevent patients from seeking financial, emotional and other support from their families and communities. Efforts to identify specific barriers to health-seeking behaviour for men and women in the context of infertility will enable the development of strategies to overcome these barriers. Knowledge of where men and women turn to for initial advice about infertility will facilitate educational interventions. This will improve access to better treatment at the appropriate time and prevent wasting scarce resources on ineffective remedies (ESHRE Task Force on Ethics and the Law, 2009).