Infertility data

The fulfilment of fertility desires is a fundamental human right relevant to the achievement of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) call to action and sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, millions of people are unable to realize this right for a variety of reasons, including infertility. Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after one year of regular intercourse without contraception.  The number of people with infertility is estimated to range between from 42-180 million. In many countries, treatment for infertility is often inaccessible for the poor. Although assisted reproduction technology may be available in the private sector, they are not widely available in the public sector in many low and middle income countries. However, achievement of universal health care (UHC) requires the access to effective and affordable fertility care services including assisted reproduction. Providing fertility care services will help to ensure that couples are able to exercise their right to conceive children.