TEHRAN – Royan Institute will host a specialized webinar on October 1 to help individuals make informed decisions about their reproductive health, focusing on fertility preservation options and strategies for single women and men over 30.

The rising age of marriage and delayed childbearing have made reproductive health, awareness of one’s fertility status, and knowledge of available fertility preservation options more important than ever, IRNA reported.

Nevertheless, understanding age-related changes and recognizing opportunities to preserve fertility and extend their reproductive timeline can play a significant role in empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their future childbearing.

Titled ‘Fertility preservation in modern era, opportunities and strategies for single women and men over 30’, the specialized webinar will examine various aspects of male and female fertility, covering topics such as the impact of aging on fertility, the assessment of fertility status and capacity, the importance of understanding one’s fertility status before delaying childbearing, and the methods for preserving reproductive cells.

It will also discuss the medical considerations associated with fertility preservation methods, the factors that influence the success of these methods, as well as the opportunities and limitations facing individuals who postpone childbearing for any reason.

Policies, programs for infertility treatment

To address infertility, which is known as one of the main challenges of health and population in the country, the government has adopted different measures, including infertility insurance to lower high-cost and out-of-pocket expenses of infertility treatment.

Covering the services associated with fertility treatment, the insurance organizations have played a key role in infertility treatment since the Iranian year 1400 (2021), IRNA reported.

The covered services include the costs of tests, medications, and assisted reproductive methods, like IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), which have facilitated access to specialized services and encourage couples to have regular health visits.

In government centers, 90 percent of the treatment costs, which are based on subsidized rates, are covered, while in private centers, 90 percent of the costs, which are based on free rates, are covered.

Currently, 150 medical centers are providing health services to infertile couples, out of which 120 centers are under the coverage of health insurance.

Over the past Iranian year (March 2025 – March 2026), the health insurance reviewed a total of 107,374 claims and reimbursed 9.98 trillion rials (around 6.743 million dollars) to medical centers.

The health insurance also paid 11.16 trillion rials (almost 7.541 million dollars) for prescribed medications to infertile couples. Since the Iranian year 1400, the health insurance has invested 37 trillion rials (about 25 million dollars).

Apart from insurance, the government has taken other measures to boost fertility, such as developing specialized infertility treatment centers in metropolises and deprived areas, considering incentive policies for infertile couples, like financial support and granting loans for treatment, implementing national projects, and comprehensive programs on family health and population to promote childbearing and reduce infertility.

Equipping medical centers with advanced facilities for in vitro fertilization (IVF), providing counselling and psychological services, are among other actions taken to help infertile couples.

Demographic shifts in Iran

With older adults already accounting for 13 percent of Iran’s population and the country’s fertility rate continuing to decline, demographic shifts are accelerating. Current projections indicate that within the next 25 years, nearly one-third of Iran’s population will be aged 60 and above.

Iran is aging, and this demographic shift will place significant pressure on the healthcare system, pension funds, social support agencies, and the national economy. To prevent the consequences of an aging population, the country is pursuing policies aimed at boosting the youth population and incentives for childbearing.

Aging is a natural process of the life cycle, but the way society approaches this life phase today will shape the living conditions of future generations.

An aging population entails more than just an increased demand for healthcare services; the rising number of elderly individuals also drives a growing need for care services, rehabilitation, home-based care, environmental adaptations, and social welfare services, which will alter the pension system and pose serious challenges to it.

Demographic shifts make action more urgent than ever. Actions need to be taken now to be able to address the livelihood and well-being of the elderly in the years to come. The interval between the current situation and advanced aging offers an opportunity for policymaking and structural reform; failing to act would result in consequences that are significantly more challenging to address.

Fortunately, Iran is in a population window of opportunity – a period when a large proportion of the population is of working age; the country has 15 to 20 years before the demographic window begins to close.

MT/MG