Healthcare Professionals’ Experiences of Delivering Fertility Care to Pacific Peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand: A Qualitative Study
Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand experience high infertility rates yet low use of assisted reproductive technology services. This qualitative study explored healthcare professionals’ experiences of delivering fertility care to Pacific patients. Using talanoa interviews and interpretative phenomenological analysis informed by Pacific holistic health perspectives, 11 healthcare professionals participated. Three themes were identified: delayed presentation to care, systemic barriers to fertility services, and social, cultural, and relational influences on care experiences. Participants highlighted barriers including public funding criteria, stigma, and limited cultural safety training. These findings identify opportunities for clinician development and system-level changes to improve equitable fertility care access.
Authors
- Edmond S. Fehoko (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1809-5856)
- Zaramasina L Clark (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2942-9447)
- Cameron D. Young (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0596-7555)
- Simon Erickson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5131-7845)
- Katrina Sharlott
- Rebekah G. Kennedy
Institutions
- Victoria University of Wellington (NZ)
- University of Otago (NZ)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Women s Reproductive Health
- Published
- 2026-10-29
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1080/23293691.2026.2750996
- Primary Topic
- Reproductive Health and Technologies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Health Research Council of New Zealand
- European Social Fund