Around one in six adults globally will be affected by infertility during their life, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

In the report, which analysed studies conducted between 1990 and 2021, the WHO found that about 17.5% of adults were affected by the inability to have a child.

There were no major differences between the prevalence of the condition between developed and developing nations: the figure was 17.8% in high-income countries and 16.5% in low and middle-income states.

Infertility is defined as a disease affecting male or female reproductive systems, characterised by the failure to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse.

“The report reveals an important truth: infertility does not discriminate,” Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, said.

“The sheer proportion of people affected shows 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.”

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The studies did not detect any sign of growing rates of infertility during the time period, the WHO’s head of contraception and fertility care James Kiarie said.

“Based on the data we have, we cannot say that infertility is increasing or constant… the jury’s still out on that question,” he said, noting that data so far has been inconsistent.

The report said that solutions for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infertility – including in vitro fertilization (IVF) – remain underfunded and inaccessible to many due to high costs, social stigma and limited availability.

In most countries, treatment has to be funded by the individual affected, with people in poorer countries having to spend a greater proportion of their income on fertility care.

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“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,” said Dr Pascale Allotey, the WHO’s director of sexual and reproductive health and research.

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