WHO: Infertility affects one in six during their lifetime

The World Health Organization (WHO) released new findings Monday that show that infertility affects one in six people globally.

The report found that about 17.5 percent – or one in six people – of the adult world population are affected by infertility, which the organization defines as “failing to become pregnant after more than a year of unprotected sex.” The results also showed that there is little variation in infertile rates across regions, finding that there is a lifetime prevalence of infertility of at a 17.8 percent rate in high-income countries and a 16.5 percent prevalence in middle and low-income countries.

The WHO Mediterranean region had the lowest prevalence of lifetime infertility at 10 percent, while the WHO Western Pacific region had the highest prevalence at 23 percent.

“The report reveals an important truth: infertility does not discriminate,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, said in a statement. “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.”

The report also noted that the diagnosis and treatment of infertility remains “underfunded and inaccessible to many due to high costs, social stigma and limited availability.” Treatments for infertility can include in vitro fertilization (IVF) and assisted reproductive technology, but often the services would need to be paid out-of-pocket, the report said.

“Millions of people face catastrophic healthcare costs after seeking treatment for infertility, making this a major equity issue and all too often, a medical poverty trap for those affected,” Pascale Allotey, director of sexual and reproductive health and research at WHO, said. “Better policies and public financing can significantly improve access to treatment and protect poorer households from falling into poverty as a result.”

In the United States, about one in five married women aged 15 to 49 years with no prior births struggle with infertility, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.