“You don’t treat your skinny patients like this”: a qualitative study of fertility care experiences among women with larger bodies and infertility
Consistent with the experiences of patients with larger bodies broadly, patients with infertility similarly report receiving stigmatizing treatment and perceived substandard care from their fertility providers. This potential harm to patients is not inevitable; participants report receiving quality care where providers offer humanizing and individualized care. There is a clear need for personalized and patient-centered treatment for this population of patients, that while marginalized, account for an increasing percentage of fertility patients.
Authors
- Daphna Stroumsa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1205-3217)
- Ashley Hesson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6023-8457)
- Samantha B. Schon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5524-3649)
- Vanessa Elliott
- Kaitlyn K. Plummer
- Erica E. Marsh
Institutions
- University of Michigan (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Frontiers in Reproductive Health
- Published
- 2026-02-04
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/frph.2026.1730572
- Primary Topic
- Obesity and Health Practices
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00