On April 4, 2023, the WHO World Health Organization released its latest report regarding reproductive health that occurs in all couples around the world. WHO says that 1 in 6 people globally experience fertility problems or commonly known as infertility. 

In the report, WHO explains that this level of infertility is defined as pregnancy failure after 1 year of having regular sexual intercourse without a condom. 

What Is Infertility? 

Infertility is a condition in which a couple does not get pregnant even though they have had intercourse for a year without using contraception. 

Infertility itself is actually divided into two, namely primary infertility and secondary infertility. Primary infertility is a condition that occurs in couples who have not gotten pregnant at all after marriage. While secondary infertility is a condition that occurs in couples who already have children but have difficulty having a second child. 

Infertility is not a condition that is caused only by women. However, this infertility can be affected by both parties, and it all depends on the conditions of each person. 

1 in 6 People Globally Experience Infertility 

The World Health Organization or WHO has recently reported that 1 in 6 people on this earth experience infertility. The report from WHO also shows that infertility is currently experienced regardless of the welfare status of society or the development status of a country. This can be seen from the results of the prevalence that occurs in high-income countries of 17.8%, where these results are almost the same as the prevalence in low-income countries, which is 16.5%. 

According to a fertility research scientist from WHO, Dr. Gitau Mburu, said that his party had conducted an analysis, where the results of the analysis showed that the prevalence of infertility was 17.5% globally. This means that 1 in 6 people experience infertility at some point in their life. 

In this condition, most people affected by infertility show the need to expand their access to fertility treatment. WHO will also guarantee that this issue will not be sidelined again in their research and health policy.

Attempts to get pregnant can actually be affected by several things that happen to affected people, such as stress, anxiety, depression, stigma in social life, to domestic violence. 

WHO notes that around 12.6% of the population globally is struggling with infertility. However, the report also shows that there is still a lack of available data in several countries. This makes it difficult to make detailed comparisons of the burden of infertility across countries in the world. 

Causes of Infertility 

Until now, WHO has not described in detail the infertility of men and women. As we know that infertility can be caused by several factors that occur on both sides, both men and women, or both. 

In general, infertility that occurs in women is usually caused by several factors, such as blockage of the fallopian tubes, endometriosis, reproductive hormone imbalance, to polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS. 

Whereas in men, infertility can also be caused by several factors, such as sexually transmitted infections or STIs, poor sperm production or quality, to hormonal imbalances. 

The main point lies in the lifestyle of each. Environmental factors such as smoking, drinking alcohol, and obesity can also trigger infertility. We also have to start maintaining a healthier lifestyle, to avoid the risk of infertility. 

Currently WHO is calling on governments to further improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for infertility. WHO also hopes that the government will ensure fairer access to modern treatments to assist reproductive activities such as IVF. 

References: 

https://katadata.co.id/dinipramita/ekonopedia/642d5ebd24119/who-1-dari-6-pendudu k-bumi-mengalami-infertilitas 

https://www.cnnindonesia.com/gaya-hidup/20230405131439-255-933885/laporan-w ho-1-dari-6-orang-di-dunia-mandul