Acesso e permanência das usuárias do Sistema Único de Saúde no Programa de Reprodução Assistida de um hospital universitário, com ênfase na variável raça/cor

Objective

To characterize racial, economic and socio‐demographic aspects of women who accessed Assisted Reproduction Service at a university hospital, referred by primary care, and to discuss the conditions that cause the users to postpone or quit treatment, highlighting the item of user's race/color.

Methods

It was performed a cross‐sectional study in which all of the users that entered the Assisted Reproduction Service program, from January 2013 to March 2014, were interviewed in person (145 women). In the second stage of the work, in October and November 2015, telephone contact was made with women who had participated in the first interview, in order to understand the difficulties, success or failure of treatment and the reasons for not persisting in the program.

Results

It was observed that the black women had access and remained in the service in proportions similar to white women, according to the representativity of this race/color in the state of Rio Grande do Sul The second stage showed abandonment of 35% even before the start of treatment, and 30% during the treatment, and financial issues being the main reason for quiting.

Conclusion

Despite the high cost of medicines, there is a waiting list for the service, although, paradoxically, there is an expressive number of abandonment.