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WHO: 1 in 6 adults worldwide experience infertility

By Nicholas Gerbis
Published: Friday, April 7, 2023 - 2:09pm
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A new report by the World Health Organization says about one in six adults worldwide experience infertility.

The findings come on the heels of news describing the continued decline of life expectancy in the U.S.

After analyzing more than 100 studies from 1990 to 2021, the WHO found infertility rates differed little among high-, middle- and low-income countries.

However, because treatments and technologies like in vitro fertilization are widely paid out of pocket, infertility affects residents of these country groups very differently.

Meanwhile, U.S. life expectancy has dropped to 76 years, and recent studies show rising maternal mortality and death rates among U.S. children and adolescents.

In fact, Americans in nearly all demographic groups die younger than their counterparts in other wealthy nations. 

Science