Fri Nov 28 09:28:43 UTC 2025: Here’s a news article summary based on the provided text:
Headline: WHO Issues First-Ever Guidelines to Combat Infertility Worldwide
Geneva, Switzerland – The World Health Organization (WHO) today released its inaugural directives aimed at improving the prevention, detection, and treatment of infertility, a condition affecting one in six people globally. The guidelines, published November 28, 2025, emphasize the need for equitable access to safe and affordable care.
“Infertility impacts individuals and couples across all regions, yet access to proper care remains highly unequal,” stated Pascale Allotey, WHO’s head of sexual and reproductive health. The new guide is intended to provide a “unified, evidence-based foundation” to ensure consistent and effective treatment.
The WHO defines infertility as the inability to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular, unprotected sexual relations. This condition can lead to significant distress, stigma, and financial hardship. In many countries, patients bear the brunt of the costs for infertility testing and treatment, sometimes facing “catastrophic financial expenditures,” with even a single round of IVF potentially costing double the average annual household income.
The guide outlines 40 recommendations, advocating for integrating fertility care into national health systems, funding strategies, and services. It also calls for improved clinical management, including increased investment in male diagnoses and prevention efforts that address risk factors such as untreated STIs and smoking. The WHO emphasizes the importance of addressing these factors to improve reproductive health worldwide.
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