A narrative review of global inequities in access to uterine artery embolisation

TL;DR

This paper reviews global access to a minimally invasive treatment for uterine fibroids and highlights inequities and solutions.

Contribution

The paper provides a narrative review of regional barriers and solutions to improve access to UAE for uterine fibroids.

Findings

Access to UAE is uneven across ten countries on all inhabited continents.

Evidence supports UAE's effectiveness in improving quality of life for women.

Local strategies are proposed to address barriers and improve access.

Abstract

Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumour of the female reproductive tract. For decades, surgery has been the standard treatment for symptomatic fibroids. However, minimally invasive options such as Uterine Artery Embolisation (UAE) have now emerged as a less invasive, but equally effective treatment. Despite this, access to UAE remains uneven worldwide. This cross-section from ten countries representing all inhabited continents across the globe, highlights several challenges that still exist, despite the abundance of evidence to support the long-term quality of life improvements for women treated with UAE. This narrative review considers enabling factors as well as barriers to treatment in each region, putting forward local strategies to improve access to UAE moving forward.

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