WHO's First-Ever Infertility Guidelines Could Change Access to Fertility Care Worldwide

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its first-ever global guidelines for infertility care, addressing a health challenge that affects 1 in 6 people of reproductive age worldwide while pushing countries to make fertility treatments safer, fairer, and more affordable for everyone.

Why Are These Guidelines Needed Now?

Infertility care remains severely limited across the globe, with many people forced to pay out-of-pocket for treatments that can be financially devastating. In some countries, a single round of in vitro fertilization (IVF) can cost double the average annual household income, creating an impossible choice between having children and financial security.

"Infertility is one of the most overlooked public health challenges of our time and a major equity issue globally," said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "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."

What Do the New Guidelines Actually Include?

The comprehensive guidelines contain 40 specific recommendations designed to strengthen prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infertility. They define infertility as the failure to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse, a condition that can cause significant distress, stigma, and financial hardship.

The guidelines emphasize a progressive approach to treatment, starting with simpler strategies and advancing to more complex options based on clinical findings and patient preferences. The recommendations cover everything from lifestyle interventions to advanced reproductive technologies like IVF.

Key areas addressed in the guidelines include:

• Prevention strategies: Information about fertility and infertility should be provided in schools, primary health care, and reproductive health facilities to help people make informed reproductive plans
• Risk factor management: Tackling leading causes of infertility including untreated sexually transmitted infections and tobacco use through targeted interventions
• Clinical pathways: Clear diagnostic approaches for identifying common biological causes of both male and female infertility
• Treatment progression: Moving from fertility advice and timing guidance to more complex treatments like intrauterine insemination or IVF based on individual needs
• Psychosocial support: Ongoing mental health resources to address depression, anxiety, and social isolation that often accompany infertility struggles

How Will This Impact Real People's Lives?

The guidelines specifically call for integrating fertility care into national health strategies, services, and financing systems. This could dramatically change access for millions of people who currently cannot afford treatment or live in areas where quality care is unavailable.

The recommendations also emphasize lifestyle interventions that people can implement immediately, including healthy diet, physical activity, and tobacco cessation for individuals and couples planning or attempting pregnancy. Early education about fertility factors, including the impact of age, is highlighted as crucial for helping people make informed reproductive decisions.

"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 health imperative and a matter of social justice."

The guidelines acknowledge current gaps in evidence and areas for future research. Upcoming editions are expected to cover additional issues such as fertility preservation, third-party reproduction, and the impact of pre-existing medical conditions on fertility. WHO is encouraging countries to adapt these recommendations to their local contexts and monitor progress through collaboration between health ministries, professional societies, civil society, and patient groups.