Infertility affects one in six people globally. Behind these statistics are real people. Infertility is a deeply personal struggle that often unfolds in silence, due to stigma, the high cost of treatment and feelings of guilt, as demonstrated in a recent study conducted by the UN’s Special Programme in Human Reproduction (HRP). The study, titled Experiences of infertility among couples in Morocco, sheds light on the devastating impact infertility has on people’s lives. It highlights recurring challenges: emotional strain, social stigma, and systemic gaps in care that leave many couples without clear guidance or affordable options.
Voices from Morocco: struggles and systemic gaps
In Morocco, couples navigating infertility describe years of confusion, misdiagnosis, and heartbreak. “It’s a very difficult problem on all levels and a long journey to find out the exact diagnosis,” said one female participant from the study, who had spent 10 years navigating fragmented fertility care. Her husband added, “I had to go through several stages. The journey is very long; you get lost in the circuit.”
“Being an infertile couple in Morocco means being the victim of all kinds of stigmatization, especially for the woman,” one participant reflected. “The society always makes women feel guilty.” Across interviews, couples described long diagnostic delays, being shuffled between private clinics, and resorting to traditional medicine in desperation, sometimes with negative consequences. One participant recounted her herbal treatment that left her and her husband unconscious for 12 hours.
A lack of clarity on treatment pathways and options affects the quality of care. “The lack of clear information and proper referral was overwhelming.” Others described exhausting cycles of trial-and-error treatments, often guided more by desperation than by medical coherence. “We saw 13 specialists. It became a long journey of suffering.” Access to care is often made difficult by costs and a lack of inclusion of infertility in national health benefit packages.
Towards equity: public-sector solutions and global guidelines
Universal fertility care coverage under the national health insurance system is an important strategy to increase access to treatments, promote equity and ensure couples receive comprehensive care.
Public-sector solutions are emerging. Professor Rachid Bezad, who is an infertility specialist at the Reproductive Health Hospital of Ibn Sina University in Rabat, Morocco, and who helped establish the first public Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) centre in the country emphasized: “Universal fertility care coverage under the national health insurance system is an important strategy to increase access to treatments, promote equity and ensure couples receive comprehensive care.”
Government officials have echoed this call. “To ensure equitable access to infertility services, it is essential to expand universal health coverage and include all medications and techniques used in managing infertility in the reimbursable care basket,” says Ms Hanane Rassimi, Head of the Family Planning Programming and Activities Department, Population Division, Ministry of Health and Social Protection. “This approach will reduce financial barriers and provide patients with appropriate and timely care.”
The Moroccan research offers a rare, in-depth look into the realities of infertility as lived by couples – many of whom continue to suffer in silence. It underscores the need to reshape health systems around people’s real experiences and to challenge the stigma that still surrounds infertility.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and HRP will release the first global guideline on infertility soon, setting out evidence-based recommendations to improve access to infertility care around the world.
These upcoming guidelines offer an opportunity to respond to the issues raised by couples in Morocco – which are common in many other countries – and ensure that no one is left behind on the path to their individual fertility goals and aspirations.
The recommendations will address male, female and unexplained infertility equally. As highlighted in the WHO Fact Sheet on infertility, addressing infertility can mitigate gender inequality by encouraging men to seek fertility care and ensuring that women are not unfairly blamed for infertility.
Women often bear the consequences of infertility – including social stigma and relationship problems, such as divorce or polygamy, even when male factors are contributing to or the leading cause of infertility.
For the millions silently navigating infertility, these upcoming guidelines will be a step towards visibility, dignity and the care they deserve.