Recognizing and Ameliorating Provider Implicit Bias

Implicit biases- the instantaneous, negative associations we hold about people belonging to marginalized or minoritized groups- form over a lifetime of repeated associations. As such, they are difficult to ameliorate with any single intervention. The biases held by reproductive healthcare providers impact the quality of the service that they provide to minoritized patients and patients’ satisfaction with treatment. Reducing the impact of provider implicit biases in reproductive healthcare requires a combination of individual provider efforts and systemic safeguards. There is also a need for a more diverse reproductive healthcare workforce, an aim that can be achieved through increasing efforts to recruit, retain, and mentor future providers from a wider variety of backgrounds.