CSRDA Discussion Paper Series

No. 40 Relationship between socioeconomic class and access to Assisted Reproductive Technology in Japan
Sayaka Terazawa
Sayaka TerazawaThe University of Tokyo
Assisted Reproductive Technology Fertility treatmentSocioeconomic stratificationSocial inequalitiesJapan
Goal 3: Good Health and Well-BeingGoal 5: Gender EqualityGoal 10: Reduced Inequalities

This paper examines the relationship between access to fertility treatment, access to Assisted Reproductive Technology (such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)) and socioeconomic class in Japan using data from an internet monitoring survey conducted by the author. The analysis revealed that (1) the probability of use of fertility treatment was higher for households with higher levels of annual household income, and (2) the probability of use of Assisted Reproductive Technology was higher for women with higher educational backgrounds. In Japan, insurance coverage was extended to cover fertility treatment in April 2022. Insurance coverage for fertility treatment is expected to partially reduce the financial burden on couples using this service. However, the results presented here suggest that bridging the social stratification gap in access to Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) will not be achieved solely by reducing the financial burden on the patient.