Study: Infertility among women is increasing worldwide

Infertility among women aged 35 to 49 is increasing worldwide and represents an increasingly important challenge for health systems, amid an aging population and the trend of postponing motherhood. According to a study published in the journal The Lancet: Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women's Health and cited by the EFE agency, approximately 53.6 million women in this age group were affected by infertility in 2023, and their number could reach almost 79.6 million by 2036.

• Constant increase in the prevalence of infertility

The research, coordinated by a team of specialists from Chongqing Medical University Hospital, China, analyzed the evolution of infertility between 1990 and 2023, using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, which covers 204 countries and territories. The authors found that the age-standardized prevalence rate of infertility (ASPR) increased in all regions of the world, indicating a global trend of increasing the phenomenon. According to the study's lead author, Queenie Li Ling Jun, from the National University of Singapore, the ASPR indicator refers exclusively to women aged 35 to 49, reported per 100,000 women in this age group, and does not reflect the entire female population or only those actively trying to get pregnant.

• Asia concentrates the greatest need for fertility services

The analysis shows that Asia is the region where the need for fertility services is highest, while Australasia records the lowest burden. At the same time, the researchers note that although the differences between low-income and high-income countries have diminished in recent decades, the burden of infertility is gradually shifting towards developed economies. The explanation is related to the increasing tendency of women in these countries to postpone motherhood, as well as to the wider access to specialized investigations and treatments, which leads to more frequent diagnosis of infertility.

• Economic implications and pressure on health systems

The study authors warn that infertility in advanced reproductive age has become a major public health problem, with important effects on women, families and health systems. In addition to the psychological and social impact, the research highlights the increasing costs of fertility treatments and the economic losses generated by reduced productivity, aspects that increase the pressure on public budgets and on health services.

• Specialists call for integrated public policies

In this context, the study authors recommend expanding fertility services and integrating them into primary health care, as well as reducing financial barriers that limit patients' access to investigations and treatments. According to the research, it is necessary to develop more accessible reproductive health strategies adapted to the particularities of each region, in order to respond to the continued increase in infertility and to reduce existing inequalities in access to care.

The study's conclusions emphasize that, without coordinated public policies and additional investments in reproductive health, the number of women affected by infertility in advanced reproductive age will continue to increase in the next decade, amplifying demographic and economic challenges worldwide.