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This commentary is in response to the Call for Papers put forth by the Critical Midwifery Studies Collective (June 2022). We argue that due to a long and ongoing history of gendered racism, Women of Color are devalued in U.S. society. Devaluing Women of Color leads maternal healthcare practitioners to miss and even dismiss distress in Women of Color. The result is systematic underdiagnosis, undertreatment, and the delivery of poorer care to Women of Color, which negatively affects reproductive outcomes generally and birth outcomes specifically. These compounding effects exacerbate distress in Women of Color leading to greater distress. Stress physiology is ancient and intricately interwoven with healthy pregnancy physiology, and this relationship is a highly conserved reproductive strategy. Thus, where there is disproportionate or excess stress (distress), unsurprisingly, there are disproportionate and excess rates of poorer reproductive outcomes. Stress physiology and reproductive physiology collide with social injustices (i.e., racism, discrimination, and anti‐Blackness), resulting in pernicious racialized maternal health disparities. Accordingly, the interplay between stress and reproduction is a key social justice issue and an important site for theoretical inquiry and birth equity efforts. Fortunately, both stress physiology and pregnancy physiology are highly plastic—responsive to the benefits of increased social support and respectful maternity care. Justice means valuing Women of Color and valuing their right to have a healthy, respected, and safe life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess perceived deficiencies of reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) fellow education due to changes in care secondary to COVID-19. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study performed in an academic setting. A survey was generated and administered to REI fellows and attendings practicing in programs across the United States. Descriptive statistics were used to quantify results regarding clinical volume, academic responsibilities, clinical safety, and fellowship education. Results: The survey response rate was 23%. Eighty-four percent of respondents self-identified as fellows, and 16% identified as program directors or other REI academic instructors. Overall, the survey responses confirmed that the COVID-19 pandemic tremendously affected clinical volume, with 91% of participants reporting their clinical volume decreased by at least half. Although 67% of attendings believed that the changes related to COVID-19 have or will have significantly affected the clinical skills of fellows, 66% of fellows did not believe that their clinical training had been significantly impacted. Sixty-seven percent of fellows and 78% of attendings do not believe that changes related to COVID-19 will affect the ability of fellows to practice independently. Conclusion: Even though most attendings surveyed believed that the changes related to COVID-19 would affect the clinical skills of fellows, the cessation of clinical and research activities was short-lived, likely tempering the overall effect on clinical training. Overall, most respondents did not believe that the pandemic significantly affected fellow education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People of all races, ethnicities, nationalities, gender identities, sexualities, and socioeconomic statuses experience infertility. Epidemiologically, infertility is experienced by 15% of couples and becomes more prevalent with age.1 Studies have found that infertility disproportionately affects more women of racial and ethnic minorities, especially Black women.2 Improvements in assisted reproductive technologies have allowed some people with infertility to have the family of their dreams. However, in the United States, many couples with infertility have been unable to benefit from these scientific advancements because of significant racial and socioeconomic disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicine has a complex history of mishandling the concept of race. This is a crucial time for the field of obstetrics and gynecology to address racial and ethnic disparities. In this commentary, we address misconceptions about race, show how race can be misused in research and clinical care, and suggest new standards to guide authors as they conduct research on disparities and race. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of Review: The aim of this study was to review the evolving field of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) and describe the current and future challenges REI fellowship programmes in the United States are facing., Recent Findings: The field of REI continues to rapidly evolve largely due to the tremendous advances within the assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). Alongside this evolution, there is a lessening emphasis on graduates being proficient in all aspects of REI. Ongoing revisions to the REI fellowship structure reflect these changes in technology and contemporary practice patterns., Summary: REI is a rapidly evolving field and fellowship training is continually adapting to meet the changing landscape of our field., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)