Hyderabad: Infertility is a reproduction condition in which people fail to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. This condition affects men as well as women. In an attempt to understand this condition, WHO analysed all the available studies conducted on fertility from the year 1990 to 2021. According to this analysis, 17.5 per cent of the population around the world experiences infertility in their lifetime. According to the UN Health Agency, these rates are "comparable" for high, middle, and low-income countries.
WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, says that the report reveals an important truth - infertility does not discriminate. According to Ghebreyesus, the proportion of people affected showcases the need to widen access to fertility care and make sure that this issue is no longer sidelined in health research and policy, and effective and affordable ways to attain parenthood are available for people.
WHO reveals that despite the prevalence of infertility, diagnosis and treatments such as In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) remain underfunded, and patients find themselves priced, with no choice except to cover the costs out of their pockets, which might lead to devastating consequences. WHO's Director of Sexual Reproductive Health and Research, Dr Pascale Allotey says that millions of people around the world have faced catastrophic healthcare costs after seeking treatment for infertility, often termed a "medical poverty trap".
Also read: Psychological Stress develops Impotency in Men: BHU Study
