LONDON — Infertility affects one in six people globally, according to a report from the World Health Organization, which urged countries to do more to help people conceive.
Researchers found little difference between high-, middle- and low-income countries in the report being published Tuesday. Treatment must be funded privately in most nations, leaving many people struggling with mental health issues or financial hardship, according to the WHO.
The health agency defines infertility as the inability to achieve a pregnancy after at least 12 months of regular unprotected sex. The researchers couldn’t identify the key drivers of the problem, which can stem from men or women’s reproductive systems, because of a lack of clinical data.
