Workplace Environment and Infertility Treatment - An analysis using internet surveys – (Japanese)

This research paper analyzes the impact of the employment conditions on the continuation of infertility treatment using data from the "Survey on the Impact of Workplace Environment on Infertility Treatment" conducted by the Institute of Economic and Industrial Research. Infertility treatment can become very expensive depending on the stage of the treatment process, especially for procedures like in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Ensuring household income becomes crucial for pursuing these treatments. In addition, as the treatment process advances, the time constraints on the female partner intensify, leading to a noticeable increase of probability of leaving full-time employment for part-time or non-employment to undergo in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection. To mitigate the difficulties related to continuing such treatments, our study demonstrates the effectiveness of government subsidies and insurance coverage for infertility treatment. Furthermore, in terms of workplace support, our study shows that merely instituting flexible leave systems applicable to these treatments is insufficient. Effective communication with supervisors and understanding within the workplace are also necessary.