2nd Edition of Gynecology World Conference 2027

Abstract

Background and Aims: Infertility affects approximately one in six people globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) released its first global guideline on infertility prevention, diagnosis and treatment in 2025, promoting equitable, integrated and life-course fertility care. This study assessed China’s alignment with the WHO guideline and identified implementation gaps.

Methods: A structured narrative policy analysis was conducted using the WHO 2025 guideline and evidence-to-decision materials as the analytical framework. Recommendations were grouped into four domains: (1) prevention and fertility awareness; (2) infertility evaluation and diagnosis; (3) treatment and assisted reproductive technologies (ART); and (4) governance, financing and service delivery. These were compared with Chinese national policies, regulations, official data and selected empirical studies, focusing on accessibility, referral and continuity of care, male-inclusive care, psychosocial support and integration across care levels.

Results: China demonstrates substantial policy alignment with WHO principles across fertility education, fertility assessment, multidisciplinary care and ART financing. National policies address fertility protection, couple-based assessment, male involvement and psychological support. By January 2025, appropriate ART services were covered by medical insurance in all provincial-level regions. However, evidence of implementation remains uneven. Nationwide evidence on population-level prevention, primary-care involvement, referral and continuity of infertility care is limited. Geographic accessibility also remains unequal: a 2024 spatial analysis found that 76.8% of China’s population was not within one hour’s travel time of an ART centre.

Conclusions: China has established a broad policy and service foundation for infertility care, with substantial progress in ART capacity and financial protection. The principal gaps concern implementation, integration and equitable access. Strengthening primary-level fertility services, referral and information-sharing mechanisms, implementation monitoring, and consistent delivery of male-inclusive and psychosocial care may further align China’s fertility-care system with the WHO guideline.