Infertility in Kuwait: a cross-sectional survey of financial burdens and care-seeking behaviours

Infertility, which requires couples to rely on assisted reproductive medicine to conceive, weighs heavily on their minds, financial security, and life stability. The objective of this study is to assess the financial and socioeconomic burdens experienced by infertility patients in Kuwait. A population-based survey is conducted to examine the extent of out-of-pocket payments for treatments, and their impact on female professional performance. The sample covers couples undergoing or having undergone infertility treatments during the period 2018–2024 in Kuwait. Although the high financial costs of the standard interventions are similar among high-income countries, the current subsidisation and regulation policies in Kuwait are worsening the conditions of couples with prolonged fertility issues. The study suggests the establishment of an authority to support couples in their fertility care-seeking journey, in addition to facilitating treatment-related regulations at workplaces to protect women from penalties due to change in work patterns during treatment.