WHO: One out of every six people in the world is infertile

The latest WHO report shows that one out of every six people in the world suffers from infertility at least once in their lifetime.

"Globally, an estimated one in six people are affected by the inability to have children at some point in their life, regardless of where they live and what resources they have," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said.

The WHO defines infertility as a disease of the male and female reproductive systems, defined when conception has failed after at least 12 months of regular, unprotected sex.

The condition in which a couple has never had children and cannot conceive is called primary infertility. A couple who have had children before but are unable to conceive another child is called secondary infertility. As such, a person can experience infertility at least once in his life.

The report, published by the World Health Organization (WHO) on April 3, analyzes studies carried out between 1990 and 2021. This is WHO's first work on infertility in a decade.

Specifically, about 17.8% of adults in high-income countries have experienced infertility at least once in their lives. The figure in low- and middle-income countries is 16.5%.

Tedros said the rate shows the need for the world to expand access to reproductive care services, ensuring this issue is no longer ignored in health policy and research. The WHO report highlights the need to collect and share consistent data on infertility, disaggregated by age and cause, and information on people in need of fertility treatment.

However, James Kiarie, head of the WHO's Division of Contraception and Fertility Care, said there was no evidence yet to suggest an increase in infertility rates between 1990 and 2021.

"Based on the available data, we cannot say whether the number of infertility cases is increasing or stabilizing. The study does not answer that question," he said.

Illustration of a sperm meeting an egg. Photo: CNN

For men, the most common cause of infertility is problems with ejaculation. Men with no or few sperm, sperm that have abnormal morphology or movement. In women, infertility is caused by a variety of problems with the ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes, and endocrine system. Sometimes, doctors cannot determine the cause of infertility.

Fertility care includes the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infertility. Equal and equitable access to this service remains a challenge in most countries, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Reproductive care is rarely a priority in universal health insurance benefit packages.