Starting a family is personal. Getting the care to make it possible shouldn’t be complicated. Yet fragmented healthcare services can leave couples facing delays, uncertainty, and unanswered questions. And too often, men’s reproductive health is overlooked.
Peter Y. Liu, MD, PhD an investigator in The Lundquist Institute’s Advanced Therapeutics and Biomedical Technologies Innovation Hub, is the first author of an international scientific statement calling for a more coordinated, inclusive approach to reproductive healthcare. Developed by the International Society of Andrology (ISA) and the International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS), the statement advocates for care that considers both partners’ reproductive health.
Jointly published in two leading peer-reviewed journals, Andrology and the International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, the statement offers recommendations to help improve clinical practice, inform policy, and make the path to parenthood more accessible for couples worldwide.
Why Both Partners Matter
Infertility is often perceived primarily as a women’s health issue, but male factors contribute to approximately half of all fertility problems. Assessing both partners early and together can help identify potential causes, guide appropriate treatment, and reduce unnecessary delays.
The statement calls for healthcare systems to move beyond fragmented services toward a couple-centered model that integrates fertility assessments, sexual health support, and contraception. It also highlights the importance of recognizing hormonal imbalances, genetic factors, and lifestyle influences that may affect reproductive health and, in some cases, long-term health.
The goal is straightforward: help individuals and couples get the information, assessments, and care they need without unnecessary barriers.
Recommendations for Real-World Change
The statement outlines practical steps toward better reproductive healthcare, including:
- Evaluating both partners: Providing timely, parallel assessments of male and female reproductive health.
- Connecting healthcare services: Improving coordination among fertility, sexual health, and contraception providers.
- Addressing the whole person: Recognizing the connections between sexual function, fertility, and overall health.
- Expanding reproductive choices: Supporting improved male contraceptive options and comprehensive sexual health care.
- Promoting equitable access: Encouraging healthcare leaders and policymakers to make quality reproductive care more accessible.
These recommendations offer a framework that healthcare systems can begin implementing within existing services, with the broader aim of making reproductive autonomy and equitable access essential components of healthcare.
A Global Vision for Building Families
The collaboration between ISA and IFFS underscores the importance of bringing male and female reproductive health experts together to improve care for individuals and couples worldwide.
“It’s important that this scientific statement help guide science, practice and policy in reproductive health for all,” Dr. Liu said.
Building a family is deeply personal, and finding the right care should not be an additional obstacle. By encouraging a more coordinated approach that recognizes both partners, this international initiative offers a path toward more informed decisions, better-connected services, and more equitable reproductive healthcare.