The biggest barrier to infertility treatment is the financial burden

A survey found that the biggest difficulty women who experienced infertility felt during treatment was the financial burden. It also found that the higher their health literacy—the ability to understand and use health information—the higher the rate of undergoing infertility treatment. The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs released a report on the 26th analyzing secondary data from the '2025 Survey on Sexual and Reproductive Health by Life Stage of Korean Women.' The results, based on 6,174 women nationwide across 17 cities and provinces, examining experiences with pregnancy and childbirth, infertility, and awareness of health behaviors during pregnancy, showed differences in infertility and treatment experiences by age group. According to the report, women with experience of infertility treatment cited not only financial burden but also emotional distress, feelings of isolation, and physical discomfort and pain as difficulties. The researchers suggested that, along with expanding financial support for infertility treatment, there is a need for education to improve health literacy and for the provision of reproductive health information that highlights the risks of drinking alcohol during pregnancy.