LGBTQIA+ individuals often face barriers when accessing healthcare, including fear of discrimination stemming from past experiences and prevalence of heteronormativity and cisnormativity, including a lack of representation of LGBTQIA+ people within public facing information. This can lead to delayed or avoided care. Fertility assistance is a significant consideration for many within the LGBTIQA+ community, making it essential that fertility services adopt inclusive practices to foster trust and improve outcomes. One way to signal inclusivity and affirm diversity is using inclusive imagery, such as depictions of rainbow flags, diverse families, same-sex couples, and gender-diverse individuals, on clinic websites. This study therefore aimed to quantify the prevalence of LGBTQIA+ inclusive imagery on fertility clinic websites.
Of the 96 Australian clinics accredited by the Fertility Society Australia and New Zealand, 38 unique websites were identified. A systematic visual inspection of each website was performed, and images were classified using a set of predetermined rules. Image location as clicks from homepage and prominence as position on page were scored; lower combined scores indicate higher image inclusivity and visibility from homepage.
65.8% websites had at least one inclusive image. However, no website had a percentage of inclusive images above 26%, with the majority falling below 10% of all images. Among images of couples and families, fertility clinic websites on average included 23±21.8% same sex presenting couples or families. Of the 25 websites that included inclusive images, the mean inclusivity score was 3.23±1.77 meaning on average inclusive images were within one click of the homepage and within the body text. This study highlights the significant underrepresentation of LGBTQIA+ inclusive imagery on Australian fertility clinic websites. Increasing the visibility and representation of LGBTQIA+ individuals in clinic visuals is essential for fostering a more equitable and welcoming healthcare environment within Australian fertility services.