First designated in 1989, World Infertility Awareness Month is observed globally every June. It is an annual campaign focused on educating the public about the various reproductive challenges individuals face, dismantling widespread stigmas, and creating a supportive community for those on a journey to conceive. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), approximately 1 in 6 people worldwide experience infertility in their lifetime, making it a critical global public health priority.
Key Pillars of the Month
- Spreading Awareness: Sharing information to replace widespread myths with scientific truths regarding male and female reproductive health.
- Breaking the Stigma: Openly discussing fertility struggles to reduce the heavy emotional isolation and shame many couples silently endure.
- Advocating for Access: Pushing for better policies, medical resources, and more affordable options for specialised fertility care.
How to Get Involved
- Educate Yourself: Learn the medical factors affecting reproductive health and share only verified insights from expert healthcare platforms.
- Support Loved Ones: Simply listen to friends or family members going through treatments, validating their experiences without offering unsolicited advice.
- Share Your Story: If comfortable, share your own personal fertility journey on social platforms using hashtags like #WorldInfertilityAwarenessMonth to foster connection.
Note: While the global observance takes place in June, some regional advocacy organisations, such as Resolve, organise localised awareness events during April.
WHAT IS INFERTILITY?
Infertility is a disease of the male or female reproductive system, defined as the inability to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months (or 6 months for women over 35 years old) or more of regular, unprotected sexual intercourse. It can result from factors affecting the male partner, the female partner, both partners, or from causes that remain unexplained.
Types of infertility
- Primary infertility: A person has never achieved a pregnancy.
- Secondary infertility: A person has previously achieved at least one pregnancy but is unable to conceive again.
CAUSES OF INFERTILITY
These problems reduce the chances of successful fertilisation:
Female causes
Infertility in women can arise from several conditions affecting the reproductive system:
- Fallopian tube disorders: Damage or blockage of the fallopian tubes can prevent sperm from reaching the egg or stop a fertilised egg from reaching the uterus. Common causes include untreated sexually transmitted infections (STIs), complications from unsafe abortion, infections following delivery or pelvic or abdominal surgery complications.
- Uterine disorders: Problems within the uterus can interfere with implantation or pregnancy, including endometriosis, congenital abnormalities such as a septate uterus and uterine fibroids
- Ovarian disorders: Conditions affecting ovulation, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) (now known as polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome – PMOS) and other disorders that affect follicle development.
- Hormonal and endocrine disorders: Abnormalities involving the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, or other hormone-producing organs can disrupt ovulation and fertility. An example being pituitary tumours.
Male causes
Male infertility commonly results from problems affecting sperm production, transport, or function.
- Obstruction of the reproductive tract: Blockages can prevent semen from being ejaculated properly. These may result from infections, injuries or birth defects.
- Hormonal disorders: Abnormal hormone levels can interfere with sperm production. Conditions affecting the pituitary gland, hypothalamus, or testes may contribute.
- Testicular failure: The testes may produce insufficient sperm due to varicoceles, certain diseases, or medical treatments such as chemotherapy
- Poor sperm quality: Sperm may have abnormal shape (morphology), movement (motility), or quantity (sperm count)
Lifestyle and environmental factors
Fertility can be influenced not only by medical conditions but also by lifestyle and environmental exposures. Factors associated with reduced fertility include smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, obesity, exposure to environmental pollutants, and exposure to toxic chemicals that may damage eggs and sperm. These factors can affect both men and women and may decrease reproductive potential.
SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT
Infertility affects more than physical health. Infertility can lead to emotional distress, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, social isolation, stigma, relationship strain, and divorce in some societies. Women often bear a disproportionate burden of blame and discrimination, even when infertility is caused by male factors or shared causes. In some settings, women experiencing infertility may face violence, social exclusion, or severe pressure from family and community members.
HUMAN RIGHTS DIMENSION
People have the right to decide whether and when to have children. Infertility can prevent individuals and couples from exercising these reproductive rights. The WHO argues that fertility care should be viewed not as a luxury service but as an important component of reproductive health and healthcare access.
CHALLENGES IN ACCESSING FERTILITY CARE
Despite the high prevalence of infertility, access to diagnosis and treatment remains limited in many countries. Major barriers include high treatment costs, lack of trained healthcare professionals, insufficient medical infrastructure, limited public funding, poor insurance coverage, and geographic inequalities in healthcare access. These challenges are especially severe in low- and middle-income countries. Fertility care is often excluded from national health benefit packages and universal health coverage programmes.
ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES (ART)
Technologies such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF) have enabled millions of births worldwide. However, the WHO notes that these treatments remain unavailable in many regions, financially inaccessible for many families, and concentrated in wealthier countries and populations. As a result, many people who need fertility treatment cannot obtain it.
PREVENTION STRATEGIES
The WHO stresses that some causes of infertility can be prevented through public health measures, including:
- Comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education
- Prevention and early treatment of STIs
- Promotion of healthy lifestyles
- Safe childbirth and post-delivery care
- Prevention of unsafe abortion complications
- Reduction of exposure to harmful environmental toxins
Improving awareness of fertility and reproductive health can help individuals make informed decisions and reduce preventable causes of infertility.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Infertility is a widespread, but often neglected disease, affecting approximately one in six people globally. It can arise from biological, hormonal, lifestyle, and environmental factors, affects both men and women, and has significant emotional, social, and economic consequences. Fertility care, including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and psychological support, should be recognised as an essential part of reproductive healthcare and made accessible to all who need it.
Learn more about this matter through this infertility fact sheet by the WHO.
