WHO: One in Six People Affected by Infertility

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Facts

  • According to a new report by the World Health Organization (WHO), one in six people globally will experience infertility at some point in their lifetime. The report describes the organization's first estimates of how widespread infertility is in more than ten years.1
  • The WHO's director of sexual and reproductive health research, Pascale Allotey, said the report highlights 'the need for infertility to be raised as a priority for universal health coverage.'2
  • The report defined infertility as a disease in which a person is unable to conceive a pregnancy after one year or more of regular, unprotected sexual intercourse.3
  • Data shows that infertility is spread evenly across income levels around the world. Infertility was recorded at 17.8% among those with high incomes and 16.5% among those with middle-to-low incomes.4
  • While the authors couldn't determine if infertility rates are increasing or decreasing, they were able to commend countries that are doing more to support those experiencing infertility by making changes to how treatments are made available and funded.5
  • The WHO said that more research is needed to further understand the scope of infertility, but they expect to release additional guidance for prevention, detection, and treatments later in 2023.3

Sources: 1Guardian, 2Axios, 3PBS NewsHour, 4Who and 5Time.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Ccrm fertility. According to US-led research, infertility rates are indeed increasing. In 1950, there were on average five children per woman, but in 2020, that number sharply declined to just two. Women and couples are having children later in life, many environmental factors and widely used medications impact fertility, and lifestyle factors such as alcohol and smoking can impact child conception. This is an important demographic issue.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Downtoearth. There's too much focus on whether populations are rising in a 'population bomb' or shrinking into a 'population collapse' due to fertility and infertility rates. The emphasis should instead be on supporting people who are here with a safe, sustainable, and fulfilling life with dignity. It's vital to center the experiences of women across nations and cultures and provide support for their reproductive choices, whatever the context of fertility trends.

Predictions