Barriers include Body Mass Index (BMI) restrictions, which are required for referrals to fertility clinics, and access to public funding.  The research also found that fertility services can at times feel culturally constrained. The use of medicalised language and unfamiliar procedures was highlighted as an area that could be handled with better clarity and sensitivity.

Commissioned by Fertility New Zealand (Fertility NZ) and undertaken by Te Pūtahi o Pūtaiao ki Waipapa Taumata Rau (The Centre for Kaupapa Māori Science at The University of Auckland).

The research aims to provide understanding of the experiences of infertility for Māori and Pacific people. It shows that the cultural expectations of having children, areas of silence around Māori and Pacific sexuality and reproduction, and feelings of whakamā (shame), mean that people facing fertility challenges can feel isolated and unsupported on their journey. It also concludes that there is a need for Māori and Pacific healing pathways to be made known, supported, resourced, and accessible to all.

You can download a summary of the research and the full report here: