ASRM Today: The New ASRM Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force with Michael Thomas

Oct 21, 2021

"I'm not seeing a patient who is Asian. I'm not seeing a patient who is Hispanic. I'm not seeing a patient who is of African descent. And it may not necessarily hit you [that] a lot of times you aren't seeing them because of the fact that they can't get to the door - either because they can't afford your services or because there is a stigma in their community for infertility services." - Michael Thomas, M.D.

Reproductive medicine has a diversity problem - with its patients and its practitioners. In this episode, Dr. Michael Thomas discusses the goals of this newly-formed ASRM Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force, including initiatives to create a more diverse workforce in reproductive medicine and how to decrease the barriers that prevent women of color from starting a family or continuing family building.

Michael A. Thomas, M.D., is Professor and Chair at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, board certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, and Director of Reproductive Medicine Research at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Thomas is the Cincinnati site Principal Investigator of the National Institute of Health's Contraceptive Clinical Trials Network. He serves on the boards of the Association for Reproductive Health Professionals, American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Society for Family Planning, and American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

To learn more about the ASRM Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force, please visit https://www.asrm.org/about-us/diversity-task-force/

The ASRM Today podcast is supported in part by the ASRM Corporate Member Council.