The World Health Organization (WHO) today issued its first-ever global guideline on infertility, calling on countries to make fertility care safer, more equitable, and accessible for all.
The guidance addresses the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infertility, a condition estimated to affect one in six people of reproductive age at some point in their lives.
Demand for fertility services is rising worldwide, yet access remains limited.
In many countries, individuals must pay out-of-pocket for tests and treatments, often incurring costs that can exceed the average annual household income. Even a single cycle of in vitro fertilization (IVF) can be financially catastrophic.
“Infertility is one of the most overlooked public health challenges of our time and a major equity issue globally,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“Millions face this journey alone priced out of care, pushed toward unproven treatments, or forced to choose between their hopes of having children and their financial security. We encourage countries to adapt this guideline to expand access to affordable, respectful, and evidence-based care.”
The guideline includes 40 recommendations to strengthen infertility prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
It promotes cost-effective interventions and calls for integrating fertility care into national health policies, services, and financing mechanisms.
Infertility—defined as the inability to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular, unprotected sexual intercourse can cause profound emotional, social, and financial hardship.
The WHO guideline provides practical steps for clinical management and emphasizes prevention through public education on fertility, age-related risks, and reproductive health.
It highlights the importance of addressing leading risk factors, including untreated sexually transmitted infections and tobacco use, and recommends lifestyle interventions such as healthy diets, physical activity, and smoking cessation for individuals planning pregnancy. Early fertility education can help people make informed reproductive choices.
The guideline details clinical pathways to diagnose common biological causes of male and female infertility and outlines a progressive approach to treatment from simpler strategies, like fertility promotion and timing guidance, to advanced interventions such as intrauterine insemination and IVF.
Recognizing the psychological impact of infertility, including depression and social isolation, it stresses the need for ongoing psychosocial support.
WHO encourages countries to adapt the recommendations to their local context and monitor progress.
Effective implementation will require collaboration between ministries of health, professional societies, civil society, and patient groups. Efforts should align with rights-based approaches to sexual and reproductive health, empowering people to make informed decisions about if and when to have children.
“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 both a health imperative and a matter of social justice.”
While comprehensive, the guideline notes current gaps in evidence and highlights areas for future research. Upcoming editions are expected to address fertility preservation, third-party reproduction, and the impact of pre-existing medical conditions.
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