Infertility in the Russian Federation in 2011–2024: incidence and prevalence of male and female infertility among the population of working age

Abstract

Relevance. The population of both the world and the Russian Federation is decreasing every year, including due to a decrease in the birth rate. The upcoming demographic "failure" will undoubtedly affect all aspects of people's lives. According to several studies, the overall decline in the birth rate is also caused by the high prevalence of infertility among both women and men. Aim. Conduct a descriptive epidemiological retrospective study of the incidence and prevalence of male and female infertility within the Russian Federation (RF) and its individual federal districts in 2011–2024. Materials & Methods . The study used data from the Form № 12 «Information on the number of diseases registered in patients living in the medical facility's service area» in 2011–2024, as well as data on the quantity of adult population from Rosstat's statistical bulletins «Population of the Russian Federation by Gender and Age» in 2011–2024. The study population consisted of men aged 18–59 and women aged 18–54. The calculation of the incidence and prevalence rate was made per 100,000 population. Results. The average annual values of the incidence and prevalence of male infertility in Russia were 34,0 0 / 0000 and 94,0 0 / 0000 . For female infertility, the values were 204,1 0 / 0000 and 657,0 0 / 0000 , which exceeded the incidence and prevalence of male infertility by 6,0 and 7,0 times, respectively. However, literature data suggests that male and female factors have an equal impact on infertility in couples. Among the Federal Districts, the highest average annual incidence and prevalence of male infertility were found in the Urals (94,4 0 / 0000 and 217,5 0 / 0000 ) and the North Caucasus (68,5 0 / 0000 and 254,5 0 / 0000 ) federal districts, the lowest in the South (14,0 0 / 0000 and 41,0 0 / 0000 ) and the Far East federal districts (13,9 0 / 0000 and 43,2 0 / 0000 ). The highest rates of female infertility were also recorded in the Ural Federal District (297,0 0 / 0000 and 924,2 0 / 0000 ) and the North Caucasus Federal District (283,3 0 / 0000 and 1146,3 0 / 0000 ), while the lowest rates were recorded in the Southern Federal District (155,6 0 / 0000 and 433,5 0 / 0000 ) and the Central Federal District. Conclusions. The identified regional features indicate the need to improve approaches to comprehensive prevention of male and female infertility, taking into account demographic factors in different territories. Interdisciplinary cooperation as part of systematic efforts to reduce the burden of infertility should be a priority in the organization of reproductive care for the population.