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New WHO definition will classify single people as "disabled", giving them more access to reproductive treatments

3 min read
New WHO definition will classify single people as "disabled", giving them more access to reproductive treatments

A groundbreaking and controversial decision from the World Health Organization redefines "infertility", giving more people access to reproductive treatments

The World Health Organization (WHO) is about to dramatically redefine the meaning of infertility. According to the WHO, infertility is classified as a disability. Now, no longer will it be considered as just a medical condition—even perfectly healthy men and women will be considered “infertile” if they cannot find a suitable sexual partner, The Telegraph reports.

And so, this new definition would classify single people not only as infertile, but also disabled. If labelling people as “disabled” just because they’re single sounds harsh to you, don’t worry, the WHO has a reason for this.

“An individual’s got a right to  reproduce whether or not they have a partner”

world health organization infertility

In many countries, fertility treatments are only funded to infertile couples. This new ruling from the WHO could cause policy-makers to allow single men and women to have the same access to reproductive treatments as people in relationships.

“The definition of infertility is now written in such a way that it includes the rights of all individuals to have a family, and that includes single men, single women, gay men, gay women,” said Dr. David Adamson, one of the authors of the new standards. “It puts a stake in the ground and says an individual’s got a right to  reproduce whether or not they have a partner.

“It’s a big change. It fundamentally alters who should be included in this group and who should  have access to healthcare. It sets an international legal standard.  Countries are bound by it.”

On the next page: critics of the decision voice out their opinions.

Some food for thought

Giving everyone who wants to start a family the opportunity to do so does sound like an awesome idea, but several critics have come forward with concerns that policy-makers should definitely think about.

Critics of the decision say that couples who are actually medically infertile can be disqualified from IVF if policy-makers like the NHS change their rules. Others have called the decision unethical.

world health organization infertility

Photo: Pixabay

“This  absurd nonsense is not simply re-defining infertility but completely  side-lining the biological process and significance of natural intercourse  between a man and a woman,” said Josephine Quintavalle from Comment on Reproductive Ethics. “How long before babies are created and grown on request completely in the lab?”

Countries aren’t obliged to adopt all of the WHO’s standards, as Jonathan Montgomery, Professor of Health Care Law at University College London told The Telegraph, and until the WHO makes their new definition official, we won’t know how different countries will respond to the new terms. We’ll just have to wait and see.

READ: New research shows fertility treatment is more effective than ever

Be sure to check out theAsianparent Community for more insightful stories, questions, and answers from parents and experts alike. If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Google+ to stay up-to-date on the latest from theAsianparent.com Philippines!

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Cristina Morales

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