Family Building and the Newly-launched WHO Infertility Guideline: What Employers Need to Know • Pendant Health

Family building is becoming a more customary and necessary part of reproductive health care for today’s workforce. In late 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) released its first guideline1 for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infertility. The update reinforces a message that matters for employers and employees alike: fertility care is part of health care.

According to the WHO, about 1 in 62 people worldwide and in the United States experience infertility during their reproductive years. This prevalence highlights why family building infertility treatments, including IVF, should no longer be viewed as rare or elective. Instead, they are a normal part of health care for millions of working adults.

For employers, the updated WHO guideline offers an evidence-based framework that supports more consistent, inclusive, and compassionate fertility benefits. Pendant aligns with this guideline and is pleased to share this information with employers nationwide.

What the WHO Guideline Update Emphasizes

The WHO guideline focuses on improving how infertility is prevented, identified and treated across health systems. While it is written for a global audience, its principles are highly relevant to workplace benefits planning in the United States.

Key areas highlighted in the guideline include:

Recognition of infertility as a disease of the reproductive system.
Timely and accurate diagnosis for both women and men.
Access to evidence-based treatments, including IVF when clinically appropriate.
Integration of mental health support into fertility care.
Reduction of stigma and barriers to treatment.

Together, these points support a more holistic view of IVF planning, one that considers physical health, emotional well-being, and access to care.

Family Building Can Be a Complex, Multi-Step Process

Building a family is not a single decision, but a years-long process of fulfilling life dreams and goals. When pregnancy does not occur, which happens to one in six people, management of the situation usually unfolds over months and involves medical testing, lifestyle considerations, emotional readiness, and financial planning. Employees navigating this process often balance treatment decisions with full-time work responsibilities.

Common aspects of infertility treatment and IVF planning include:

Fertility evaluations and diagnostic testing.
Discussions about treatment timing and readiness.
Managing appointments and treatment schedules.
Understanding medication needs and side effects.
Coping with stress, uncertainty or previous pregnancy loss.

The WHO guideline acknowledges that infertility care is most effective when it is patient-centered and coordinated. For working individuals, employer support can make this process more manageable and less isolating.

Mental Health Is Essential to Fertility Care

One theme echoed in both the WHO guidance and Pendant’s educational materials is the importance of mental health support during fertility treatment. IVF planning can bring anxiety, grief and emotional fatigue, especially for those who have experienced prior loss or prolonged infertility.

When emotional support is integrated into fertility care, employees are better equipped to navigate challenges and make informed decisions. This approach aligns with the WHO’s emphasis on treating infertility as a whole-person health issue, not just a clinical one.

Why Infertility and IVF Planning Support Matters to Employers

Because fertility treatment typically occurs during prime working years, the workplace plays an important role in access to and outcomes of treatment. When employees feel unsupported, the stress of infertility and especially IVF planning can affect focus, attendance, and engagement.

Employers that recognize fertility care as health care can:

Support employee well-being during a major life event.
Reduce stress related to treatment logistics and costs.
Improve retention during family-forming years.
Reinforce a culture of inclusion and trust.

As workforce expectations evolve, fertility benefits are increasingly viewed as a meaningful indicator of how employers support the long-term health of their employees.

How Pendant Aligns With WHO Best Practices

Pendant’s employer solutions reflect many of the principles outlined in the updated WHO infertility guideline.

Evidence-Based Infertility and IVF Planning Support:

Pendant connects employees to a nationwide network of experienced fertility specialists who follow established clinical standards. This helps ensure IVF planning decisions are grounded in accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment pathways.

Personalized Care Navigation:

Pendant Care Navigators provide one-on-one guidance throughout the fertility journey. They help employees understand testing, treatment options, and next steps, reducing confusion during a complex process.

Integrated Emotional Support:

Recognizing that mental health support is essential to fertility care, Pendant offers educational tools and resources. These resources help employees manage stress and feel supported alongside medical treatment.

Inclusive Access to Fertility Care:

The WHO guideline highlights inequities in access to infertility care. Pendant’s model is intentionally inclusive, supporting infertility and IVF planning for LGBTQ+ employees, single parents by choice, and diverse family structures.

Medication Access and Cost Transparency:

Fertility medications are a significant part of IVF planning. Pendant helps simplify this through transparent pricing options and access to fertility-specific pharmacy support.

Building a Fertility-Friendly Workplace:

Employers can further align with WHO guidance by creating environments that respect reproductive health needs. Supportive practices include:

Flexible scheduling for fertility-related appointments.
Clear communication about fertility benefits.
Manager training on sensitive health conversations.
Normalizing fertility care as part of overall health care.

These steps help reduce stigma and allow employees to pursue infertility and IVF treatments with greater confidence.

Supporting Family Building Through Infertility Treatments With Pendant

The updated WHO infertility guideline underscores what many employers are already seeing: fertility care is a critical part of workforce well-being. Infertility and IVF treatments deserve the same thoughtful, evidence-based support as other medical needs.

Pendant helps employers translate the best global practices into pragmatic benefits that employees can understand and use.

1Guideline for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infertility. (2025, November 28). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240115774

21 in 6 people globally affected by infertility:WHO. (2023, April 4). WorldHealthOrganization.https://www.who.int/news/item/04-04-2023-1-in-6-people-globally-affected-by-infertility