Infertility and Public Health

In consultation with many governmental and nongovernmental partners, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed the National Public Health Action Plan for the Detection, Prevention, and Management of Infertility (hereafter called the National Action Plan or the Plan). This plan highlights the need to better understand and address issues at a population level that contribute to and are caused by infertility in women and men and that may affect the health of the pregnancy.

Specifically, this plan focuses on:

1. Promoting healthy behaviors that can help maintain and preserve fertility.
2. Promoting prevention, early detection, and treatment of medical conditions that can threaten fertility.
3. Reducing exposures to environmental, occupational, infectious, and iatrogenic agents that can threaten fertility.

Watch CDC Grand Rounds Video: Time for Public Health Action on Infertility

Because of its public health focus, these strategies also call for promoting healthy pregnancy outcomes associated with treating and managing infertility and improving the safety and efficacy of infertility treatments.

The findings and recommendations contained in this publication may serve as a platform to stimulate discussion and collaboration among Federal agencies, professional organizations, academic institutions, and those who represent consumers of health services.

Because of its public health focus, these strategies also call for promoting healthy pregnancy outcomes associated with treating and managing infertility and improving the safety and efficacy of infertility treatments.

The findings and recommendations contained in this publication may serve as a platform to stimulate discussion and collaboration among Federal agencies, professional organizations, academic institutions, and those who represent consumers of health services.

Learn more about CDC's Infertility Activities and Programs