1. W H O / S e x & S a m f u n d C O N C U R R E N T S E S S I O N
Infertility- Unmet need for prevention & care- Impact,
issues & solutions
17 May 2016, 15:00 – 16:00
Room B3-2, Bella Center
Copenhagen, Denmark
Co-Chairs:
Ian Askew, Director WHO Department of Reproductive Health and Research
Bjarne Christensen, Secretary-General Sex & Samfund
Facilitator:
Siri Tellier, Ext Lecturer, School of Global Health, University of Copenhagen
Panelists:
Claudia Garcia-Moreno, Medical Officer, WHO HQ
 Reducing infertility’s negative effects, particularly violence, for women
Lilian Mbuya Sikoria- Entrepreneur (Uganda)
Vibhor Singh- Architect (India)
 First-person accounts on managing the economic, psychological and social
effects of infertility
This interactive, panel discussion session will discuss key Sexual and Reproductive Health
and Rights elements of infertility and define viable solutions moving forward.
For more information contact Stephen Nurse-Findlay (nursefindlays@who.int)

2. W H O / S e x & S a m f u n d C O N C U R R E N T S E S S I O N
Infertility- Unmet need for prevention & care- Impact, issues & solutions
Ian Askew, Director, WHO Department of Reproductive Health and Research
Session Co-Chair
• Magnitude of the problem
• Human Rights Component
• Negative Impacts of Infertility
• Access to Services
• Infertility and the SDGs/ Global Strategy
• RHR 5-Year Infertility Priorities

3. W H O / S e x & S a m f u n d C O N C U R R E N T S e s s i o n
Infertility- Unmet need for prevention & care- Impact, issues & solutions
Bjarne Christensen, Secretary-General Sex & Samfund
Session Co-Chair
Infertility- Several dimensions of
the Problem
• Human rights- People cannot fulfill
their child bearing wishes
• Medical- Treatment is expensive-
and can cause significant economic
distress
• Demographically/economically-
There is a perceived need to reduce
birth rates
Infertility- Several dimensions of
the Solution
• Prevention- Comprehensive
Sexuality Education to include
fertility awareness, treatment of
conditions which lead to infertility
• Treatment- Cheaper, more
effective treatment, more rational
regimens
• Harm reduction: Stigma reduced,
laws reformed

4. W H O / S e x & S a m f u n d C O N C U R R E N T S e s s i o n
Infertility- Unmet need for prevention & care- Impact, issues & solutions
Claudia Garcia-Moreno, Medical Officer, WHO
Session Panellist
• Evidence shows that infertility/subfertility is associated with an
increased risk of experiencing partner/domestic violence in low-
and middle-income countries.
• Violence among infertile women is a considerable, yet a poorly
reported problem
• Health care providers dealing with infertility and fertility problems
should be trained to identify those women experiencing violence
and provide them a supportive response as per existing WHO
clinical guidelines.

5. W H O / S e x & S a m f u n d C O N C U R R E N T S e s s i o n
Infertility- Unmet need for prevention & care- Impact, issues & solutions
Lilian Mbuya-Sikoria, Entrepreneur, Uganda
Special Guest
Prevention:
• Facilitate research on high quality treatment options similar to what has been done for
treating obstetric fistula or AIDS
• Public health basic service packages should include low-cost interventions like sperm
count testing, investigation of hormonal imbalances and quality counselling
• Invest in capacity building of service providers and equip health facilities to handle infertility
issues at the bare minimum.
Treatment
• WHO must define clear guidelines, so that service providers don't prey on desperate clients
by offering them expensive, ineffective treatment
• Support focused campaigns to reduce and mitigate stigma, discrimination, and social
injustices especially against women and highlight infertility in SRHR and GBV agendas.
Harm Reduction
• Speak out, to make clear that the inability to bear a child should not be a social death
penalty.

6. W H O / S e x & S a m f u n d C O N C U R R E N T S e s s i o n
Infertility- Unmet need for prevention & care- Impact, issues & solutions
Vibor Singh, Architect, India
Special Guest
• Medical conditions causing infertility can affect men and women
individually or simultaneously
• More education about preventable issues that can delay
conception- mental stresses, lifestyle, health, etc.
• Family and social pressures for infertile couples are real, painful,
and often makes things worse...
• … Which can lead to desperate attempts to try anything-
medically, emotionally, spiritually that might (or might not) work...
• Pre & post-conception approach to beliefs, observations, mental
health, etc, will define the road ahead for infertile couples.

7. W H O / S e x & S a m f u n d C O N C U R R E N T S e s s i o n
Infertility- Unmet need for prevention & care- Impact,
issues & solutions
Interactive Discussion with Audience
• Your Solutions!

8. W H O / S e x & S a m f u n d C O N C U R R E N T S e s s i o n
Interactive Panel Discussion
• Proposed Infertility Solution 1?
• How would it work?

9. W H O / S e x & S a m f u n d C O N C U R R E N T S e s s i o n
Interactive Panel Discussion
• Who would it impact?
• What’s needed to make it work?

10. W H O / S e x & S a m f u n d C O N C U R R E N T S e s s i o n
Interactive Panel Discussion
• Proposed Infertility Solution 2?
• How would it work?

11. W H O / S e x & S a m f u n d C O N C U R R E N T S e s s i o n
Interactive Panel Discussion
• Who would it impact?
• What’s needed to make it work?

12. W H O / S e x & S a m f u n d C O N C U R R E N T S e s s i o n
Interactive Panel Discussion
• Proposed Infertility Solution 3?
• How would it work?

13. W H O / S e x & S a m f u n d C O N C U R R E N T S e s s i o n
Interactive Panel Discussion
• Who would it impact?
• What’s needed to make it work?

14. W H O / S e x & S a m f u n d C O N C U R R E N T S e s s i o n
Interactive Panel Discussion
• Proposed Infertility Solution 4?
• How would it work?

15. W H O / S e x & S a m f u n d C O N C U R R E N T S e s s i o n
Interactive Panel Discussion
• Who would it impact?
• What’s needed to make it work?

16. W H O / S e x & S a m f u n d C O N C U R R E N T S E S S I O N
Infertility- Unmet need for prevention & care- Impact,
issues & solutions
Thank you very much!
Merci Beaucoup!
Mange Tak!