According to a new report from the World Health Organization, it is estimated that one in six people worldwide suffer from infertility.
Infertility rates, defined as the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected intercourse, are similar across countries and regions, WHO report says.
According to the analysis, the overall lifetime prevalence of infertility was 17.5%, which translates to one in six people experiencing it in their lifetime. There are no significant differences between rich and poor countries, the prevalence of infertility remains at the same level, 17.8% in high-income countries and 16.5% in low- and middle-income countries.
Where there are differences, according to the report, is in spending on and access to fertility treatments. People in poorer countries spend a significantly greater proportion of their income on a single cycle of IVF or fertility treatment than people in richer countries.
It’s a worldwide problem
The WHO report, described as the “first of its kind in a decade”, includes an analysis of infertility data from 1990 to 2021. The data came from 133 previously published studies on the prevalence of infertility. The researchers, however, did not determine whether worldwide infertility rates increased or decreased over time.
Over time, several factors can affect a person’s fertility, age being one of the most important, especially in women. Infertility, which affects either the male or female reproductive system, can be treated with drugs, surgery or assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization, in which an egg and sperm are joined together in a laboratory dish and inserted into the uterus. egg becomes an embryo.
The new WHO data reinforce the idea that more people need fertility coverage and access to quality care than previously thought, and inequalities arise in relation to who has access to care, as in the case of black women, who tend to find access difficult.
Source: WHO