Achieving more equitable access to assisted reproduction

Infertility affects one in six people in their lifetime yet remains a neglected global health problem.1 The World Health Organization (WHO) recognises infertility as a disease and has highlighted the need for prevention and management to be more central in health research and policy, including wider and more equitable access to assisted reproductive technology (box 1).Box 1Infertility and assisted reproductionThe World Health Organization defines infertility as a disease of the male or female reproductive system, characterised by the failure to achieve a pregnancy after ≥12 months of regular unprotected sexual intercourseInfertility is defined as a disease because of its effect on the quality of life, especially of women, as measured by levels of anxiety, depression, loss of self-esteem, and severe social effects, including stigmatisation, marital instability, social discrimination, neglect, isolation, and abuseAssisted reproductive technology is the only treatment for some of the most common and severe causes of infertility. It…
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