Infertility Burden Across Indian States: Insights from a Nationally Representative Survey Conducted During 2019-21.

BACKGROUND

Infertility is an escalating global concern, impacting approximately one-sixth of the reproductive age population worldwide. Employing data from the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5, 2019-21), this study assessed the prevalence of primary infertility at both national and state levels in India.

METHODS

The data of the study was extracted from the National Family Health Survey and Individual file (women file) of the fifth round of NFHS encompassing a sample of 491,484 currently married women in the age group of 15-49 years.

RESULTS

The findings showed that the prevalence of infertility is 18.7 per 1,000 women among those married for at least five years and currently in union. This prevalence increases as the duration of marriage decreases. On a state-level analysis, regions such as Goa, Lakshadweep, and Chhattisgarh exhibit the highest burdens.

CONCLUSION

These findings underscore the growing challenge posed by primary infertility in India, calling for targeted interventions and policy measures. The establishment of a national infertility surveillance system is of pivotal importance in addressing this pressing public health issue.