Global Burden of Male Infertility From 1990 to 2021: Prevalence and DALYs Across 204 Countries

IF 2 4区医学 Q3 ANDROLOGY

Andrologia Pub Date : 2025-10-23 DOI:10.1155/and/8763243

Heqing Huang, Chunyan Wu, Jianing Wu, Zhiping Liao, Tiangao Lin, Jianhua Li, Fangchao Wu

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Abstract

Background

The growing burden of male infertility has emerged as a critical public health concern. However, current epidemiological evidence remains limited and inconsistent. This study is among the first to analyze the global disease burden of male infertility using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021, providing critical evidence to inform policy development.

Objective

Using the GBD 2021 dataset, we assessed 30-year trends (1990–2021) in male infertility epidemiology worldwide. These findings provide critical insights for evidence-based policy making and resource allocation in global reproductive health.

Methods

Utilizing data from the GBD 2021 dataset, we evaluated the burden of male infertility in the reproductive-age population (15–49 years). Our analysis encompassed prevalence, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and their associated 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), with stratification by age group, geographic region, and country from 1990 to 2021. We investigated associations with socioeconomic determinants, particularly the sociodemographic index (SDI), using Spearman’s rank correlation analysis. Temporal patterns were assessed through the calculation of estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs).

Results

In 2021, the global prevalence of male infertility reached 55,000,818 cases, corresponding to an age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR) of 2737.42 per 100,000 population. The condition accounted for 317,614 DALYs, with an age-standardized DALY rate (ASDR) of 15.84 per 100,000 population. Geospatial analysis revealed substantial regional variation, with Eastern Europe demonstrating the highest burden of male infertility, while Australasia exhibited the lowest prevalence rates.

Conclusion

The study documents a sustained increase in male infertility prevalence among reproductive-aged men worldwide from 1990 to 2021. Effective response strategies should combine medical innovation, health policy reforms, and equitable resource distribution to address this emerging public health priority.

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1990年至2021年全球男性不育症负担：204个国家的患病率和DALYs

男性不育症日益加重的负担已成为一个重要的公共卫生问题。然而，目前的流行病学证据仍然有限且不一致。这项研究是首批使用2021年全球疾病负担（GBD）分析男性不育症全球疾病负担的研究之一，为政策制定提供了重要证据。使用GBD 2021数据集，我们评估了全球男性不育症流行病学的30年趋势（1990-2021）。这些发现为全球生殖健康的循证政策制定和资源分配提供了重要见解。方法利用GBD 2021数据集的数据，我们评估了育龄人群（15-49岁）的男性不育负担。我们的分析包括患病率、残疾调整生命年（DALYs）及其相关的95%不确定性区间（UIs），并按年龄组、地理区域和国家从1990年到2021年进行分层。我们调查了与社会经济因素的关系，特别是社会人口指数（SDI），使用斯皮尔曼等级相关分析。通过计算估算的年百分比变化（EAPCs）来评估时间格局。结果2021年，全球男性不育症患病率达到55,000,818例，年龄标准化患病率（ASPR）为每10万人2737.42例。该病占317,614 DALY，年龄标准化DALY率（ASDR）为15.84 / 10万人。地理空间分析显示了显著的区域差异，东欧男性不育负担最高，而澳大拉西亚患病率最低。该研究表明，从1990年到2021年，全球育龄男性不育症患病率持续上升。有效的应对战略应结合医疗创新、卫生政策改革和公平的资源分配，以应对这一新兴的公共卫生优先事项。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Andrologia 医学-男科学

CiteScore

5.60

自引率

8.30%

发文量

292

审稿时长

6 months

期刊介绍： Andrologia provides an international forum for original papers on the current clinical, morphological, biochemical, and experimental status of organic male infertility and sexual disorders in men. The articles inform on the whole process of advances in andrology (including the aging male), from fundamental research to therapeutic developments worldwide. First published in 1969 and the first international journal of andrology, it is a well established journal in this expanding area of reproductive medicine.