SWITZERLAND — According to a report published by the World Health Organization (WHO), about 1 in 6 people globally are affected by infertility.
The report analyzed existing studies conducted from 1990 to 2021 and showed that about 17.5% of adults across the world were affected by the inability to have a child. WHO officials said the report takes into account several research approaches.
The WHO examined 133 existing studies on infertility, covering data from 1990 to 2021, to arrive at this estimation. This is the first time the organization has conducted research on the prevalence of fertility issues.
Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive a child after engaging in regular unprotected sex for more than 12 months.
The report shows that rates of infertility are similar in both wealthy and poor regions, with high-income nations having an estimated infertility rate of 17.8% and low- to middle-income countries reporting a rate of 16.5%.
The period prevalence of infertility, which refers to the proportion of people who have experienced infertility at any point in their lives, was estimated to be 12.6% in 2022.
The study showed some variation in infertility rates across regions, with the highest lifetime prevalence at 23.2% in the Western Pacific and the lowest at 10.7% in the Eastern Mediterranean.
However, the differences were not significant or conclusive based on the available data. The report did not indicate whether infertility rates have been increasing or decreasing over time.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, stated that the report proves that infertility is non-discriminatory.
“The sheer proportion of people affected show the need to widen access to fertility care and ensure this issue is no longer sidelined in health research and policy, so that safe, effective, and affordable ways to attain parenthood are available for those who seek it,” he said.
In women, infertility can be caused by conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), reduced number of eggs, or blocked fallopian tubes. For men, low sperm count and hormonal or genetic disorders can cause infertility.
To address infertility, assisted reproductive technologies (ART) like IVF, donor eggs, or frozen embryos are used.
In the United States, approximately 2% of all babies born every year are conceived using ART. Despite its widespread use, fertility treatments remain largely inaccessible due to their high cost.
The most commonly used ART in the United States is IVF, but its varying success rates and the average cost of US$15,000 to US$30,000 for a single cycle make it a costly gamble for many American couples.
Despite the magnitude of the global infertility problem, the WHO noted that solutions for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment remain underfunded and inaccessible to many due to their high costs.
In most countries, patients have to pay for fertility treatments out of their pockets.
To widen access to fertility care and address the issue of infertility, there is a need for better policies and public financing to improve access to treatment and protect poorer households from falling into poverty as a result.
The WHO has also called for increased research and policy attention to the issue of infertility to ensure safe, effective, and affordable ways to attain parenthood are available for those who seek it.
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