A large number of people are affected by infertility throughout their lives, according to a new report published today by the WHO. About 17.5% of the adult population, roughly 1 in 6 globally, experiences infertility, demonstrating the urgent need to increase access to high-quality, affordable fertility care for those who need it.
The new estimates show limited variation in the prevalence of infertility between regions. The rates are comparable for high-, middle-, and low-income countries, indicating that this is a significant health challenge globally. The lifetime prevalence was 17.8% in high-income countries and 16.5% in low- and middle-income countries.
“The report reveals an important truth: infertility does not discriminate,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “The large proportion of people affected shows the need to expand access to fertility care and ensure that this problem is no longer neglected in health research and policy, so that safe, effective and affordable ways of achieving parenthood are available to those seeking it. ”
Infertility is a disease of the male or female reproductive system, defined by the inability to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected intercourse. It can cause significant distress, stigma and financial hardship, affecting people’s mental and psychosocial well-being.
Despite the magnitude of the problem, solutions for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infertility, including assisted reproductive technology such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) – remain underfunded and inaccessible to many due to high costs, social stigma and limited availability.
Today, in most countries, fertility treatments are largely financed out of pocket, often resulting in devastating financial costs. People in the poorest countries spend a higher proportion of their income on fertility care compared to people in the richest countries. High costs often prevent people from accessing infertility treatment or, alternatively, can catapult them into poverty as a consequence of seeking care.
“Millions of people face catastrophic healthcare costs after seeking infertility treatment, making this a significant equity issue and, all too often, a medical poverty trap for those affected,” said Dr. Pascale Allotey , WHO Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research. including the United Nations Special Program for Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP). “Better public policies and financing can significantly improve access to treatment and protect the poorest households from falling into poverty as a result.”
While the new report shows compelling evidence of the high global prevalence of infertility, it highlights a persistent lack of data in many countries and some regions. Calls for greater availability of national infertility data disaggregated by age and cause to help quantify infertility, as well as to know who needs fertility care and how risks can be reduced.
Notes to editors
About the report
This report provides information on the prevalence of infertility globally and regionally by analyzing all relevant studies from 1990 to 2021, taking into account the different estimation approaches used.
The search identified 12,241 potentially relevant study records worldwide. Selection of these registries led to the selection of 133 studies that were included in the report analysis. From these, relevant data points were used to generate pooled estimates, for lifetime and period prevalence of infertility.
New Research on Fertility Treatment Costs
Separately, new research funded by HRP and WHO and published in the journal Open Human Reproduction evaluated the costs associated with infertility treatments in low- and middle-income countries. This analysis found that the direct medical costs paid by patients for a single round of in vitro fertilization (IVF) are often higher than the average annual income, indicating prohibitive costs for most people in these parts of the world. .
This research can be accessed at: https://academic.oup.com/hropen/article/2023/2/hoad007/7066921