For the first time in its history, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a global guideline on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infertility, calling on countries to make fertility care safer, fairer, and within reach for everyone who needs it.
Released on Friday, the guideline comes at a time when infertility affects 1 in 6 people of reproductive age worldwide, yet millions still struggle silently, unable to access the tests or treatments that could help them start a family.
Across the world, the desire to have children often collides with harsh financial realities. Infertility services, from basic tests to procedures like in vitro fertilisation (IVF), are rarely covered by public health systems. In many countries, a single cycle of IVF can cost up to twice the average household’s annual income, pushing families into debt or forcing them to abandon care altogether.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described infertility as “one of the most overlooked public health challenges of our time.” He noted that the emotional and financial toll leaves many people “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 new guideline, he said, is a call to action for governments to adopt evidence-based, affordable, and respectful fertility care systems.
The comprehensive document outlines 40 recommendations aimed at strengthening fertility care from prevention to diagnosis and treatment. It promotes integrating fertility care into national health strategies, so that it becomes part of mainstream healthcare rather than a luxury for a few.
WHO stresses the importance of equipping young people with accurate information on fertility, including how age and lifestyle affect reproductive health. This education, it says, should begin in schools, primary health centres, and reproductive health facilities.
Preventable causes, such as untreated sexually transmitted infections and tobacco use, continue to fuel infertility rates. The guideline recommends lifestyle interventions like balanced diets, physical activity, and quitting tobacco for anyone trying to conceive.
The guideline also provides step-by-step approaches for diagnosing the most common biological causes of infertility in both men and women, ensuring patients are not subjected to unnecessary or expensive procedures.
From simple advice on fertility awareness to advanced options like intrauterine insemination (IUI) and IVF, the guideline encourages clinicians to move stepwise based on evidence and patient preference.
Beyond the medical aspects, WHO acknowledges the deep emotional strain infertility places on individuals and couples. Feelings of anxiety, depression, shame, and social isolation are common but often go unaddressed. To bridge this gap, the guideline calls for ongoing psychosocial support, emphasising that emotional care should be as integral as clinical treatment.
WHO experts stress that fertility care must be rooted in reproductive rights, gender equality, and informed choice.
“The prevention and treatment of infertility must be grounded in gender equality and reproductive rights,” said Dr Pascale Allotey, Director of WHO’s Department of Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing. “Empowering people to make informed choices about their reproductive lives is a matter of social justice.”
As the first guideline of its kind, WHO recognises that significant evidence gaps remain. Issues such as fertility preservation and third-party or donor-assisted reproduction, critical for many, have not yet been addressed and will require future research and discussion.
Still, experts say this landmark document lays the foundation for a more inclusive and compassionate approach to fertility care, one that recognises the profound human desire for parenthood and the need to support it equitably.
For millions struggling quietly with infertility, the guideline offers something they have long waited for: hope that care can become safer, more respectful, and truly accessible.
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