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The couple’s joy at falling pregnant quickly turned to heartbreak when their daughter June, diagnosed with a fatal condition, was lost at 14 weeks.
Rhea Abraham describes herself as a bereaved mother and has turned her grief into advocacy for CALD women struggling with fertility and pregnancy loss. Source: Supplied
In the years that followed, Rhea experienced multiple miscarriages and underwent IVF.
“The stigma attached to not being able to bear a child was insurmountable.”
A need for better care
“Patients in some migrant communities are less likely to engage in donor services, which may lead these patients to be unable to start their families and end up childless. It can also lead to marriage breakdown in some migrant couples as the pressure to start a family is forced upon them.”
“It may delay them seeking the treatment in the first place or asking the questions of their GPs due to cultural biases. It can leave these couples with no information or guidance to start their fertility treatment. It also means that some couples can have significant underlying medical conditions affecting their fertility that they never seek treatment for, or are never suggested the right treatment.”
Australia’s IVF success rate has steadily improved
That same year, more than 20,000 babies were born from IVF treatment, accounting for one in every 18 babies born in Australia.
This leaves a significant evidence gap when it comes to understanding who is accessing fertility treatment and who is missing out.
More barriers for migrant women
Scientific director at Connect IVF, Lauren Hiser, says clinics have a role to play in bridging that gap.
