Delayed Marriage and Childbirth Increased Infertility... The Key Is Early Diagnosis

High-Risk Pregnancies Continue to Increase
Check Reproductive Age Health
Ovarian Age and Sperm Motility
Early Detection and Prevention Possible

Illustration by Kim Dahee

The government is providing financial support for individuals to check their fertility in advance because the number of people experiencing infertility is significantly increasing each year due to aging and late marriages. As infertility and high-risk pregnancies rise, substantial costs are incurred not only by individuals but also by society, leading to the judgment that active policy changes for prevention are necessary.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare believes that to slightly raise the birth rate, it is essential to expand support for individuals who intend to conceive and to broaden childbirth policies beyond the perinatal period (during pregnancy or around childbirth) to include support for preparation before pregnancy, thereby implementing effective solutions.

Over the past decade, the trend of late marriage and advanced maternal age has intensified, causing a continuous increase in infertility and high-risk pregnancies. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service on the 8th, the number of patients using infertility and assisted reproductive technology services rose from 221,272 in 2017 to 252,298 in 2021. The financial burden on infertility patients has also surged. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the total annual medical expenses for infertility treatment increased by 68%, from 154.2 billion KRW in 2018 to 259.1 billion KRW in 2022. This amounts to approximately 1.84 million KRW per patient.

The problem is that infertility, despite the desire to give birth, becomes increasingly difficult to resolve over time. The primary cause of infertility is aging. A Ministry of Health and Welfare official explained, “Although the social age has been delayed, the body undergoes the same aging process, which is the main cause leading to infertility,” adding, “Choosing to give birth earlier can reduce infertility, but it is difficult for the government to artificially accelerate individual choices.” The official further stated, “Therefore, if people can continuously monitor their reproductive health, health issues can be detected early.”

The essential fertility (reproductive health) test, the ovarian function test (AMH), measures an individual's fertility through a simple blood test. Men can also assess their fertility potential through semen analysis, which tests sperm motility at local hospitals. The Ministry of Health and Welfare judged that confirming fertility early, rather than conducting these tests only at the time of deciding to conceive, can effectively prevent infertility. The reason for significantly subsidizing the cost of these tests is to greatly improve accessibility. They believe that the lower the financial burden, the higher the willingness to check for infertility early.

The pilot project for pre-pregnancy health management support, launched in April this year, involves most local governments except Seoul. The costs for testing support, which previously varied by local government, will be almost uniform starting this year. Seoul operates a separate program, supporting testing costs for all men and women of reproductive age, not just couples. This year, excluding Seoul, a budget of 6.2 billion KRW has been allocated, limiting the target to couples. The Ministry of Health and Welfare estimates the demand target to be about 70,000 couples. A ministry official said, “We are reviewing various ways to support all men and women of reproductive age next year, so we expect an increase in the budget.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.