(MENAFN) Infertility now affects approximately one in six individuals of reproductive age globally, according to the World Health Organization, which also released its first comprehensive guideline on the subject, offering recommendations to enhance access to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

The WHO highlighted that despite the widespread nature of infertility, access to fertility care remains “severely limited” in many regions. In numerous countries, patients bear most of the costs themselves, creating significant financial strain.

In certain areas, a single cycle of in vitro fertilization (IVF) may cost “double the average annual household income,” underscoring the economic challenges faced by those seeking treatment.

“Infertility is one of the most overlooked public health challenges of our time and a major equity issue globally," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. "Millions face this journey alone — priced out of care, pushed toward cheaper but unproven treatments, or forced to choose between their hopes of having children and their financial security."

The newly released guideline includes 40 recommendations, outlining clinical pathways for diagnosing the most common causes of infertility and providing guidance on progressing from counseling and timing advice to medical procedures such as intrauterine insemination or IVF.

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