How Is Rising Healthcare Spending Driving Female Fertility and Pregnancy Rapid Test Product Demand?
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), infertility refers to the “failure to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse”. This is a disease of both the male and female reproductive systems. Infertility is caused by problems in the ejection of semen, abnormal shape and mobility of the sperm, or absence or low levels of sperm in the male reproductive system. Whereas, in the female reproductive system, this disease may be caused by a range of abnormalities of the endocrine system, fallopian tubes, uterus, and ovaries.
Additionally, the mounting healthcare expenditure is propelling the adoption of female fertility and pregnancy rapid test kits across the world. According to the World Bank, nearly 9.85% of global gross domestic product (GDP) is spent on healthcare, as of 2018. Countries that offer improved access to advanced medical treatments spend a substantial part of their GDP on the healthcare sector. Thus, the increasing introduction of diagnostic products with advanced features will fuel the usage of such testing kits in the forthcoming years.
At present, Alere Inc., Atlas Medical, Nantong Egens Biotechnology Co. Ltd., Gemc Technology Group Co. Ltd., Diagnostic Automation/Cortez Diagnostics Inc., SA Scientific, BioMerieux SA, and Church & Dwight Co. Inc. are offering cards/cassettes, strips/dipsticks, and midstreams to address this issue. These products are used for testing the levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). In the coming years, strips/dipsticks will gain more traction than midstreams and cards/cassettes.
Geographically, North America will dominate the female fertility and pregnancy rapid test market in the foreseeable future due to the soaring incidence of uterine fibroids and PCOS. Additionally, the female population of the region is experiencing irregular and heavy bleeding, abnormalities of the uterus, and indescribable miscarriages, owing to which North America is witnessing a considerable use of such kits. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “About 6% of married women aged 15 to 44 years in the United States are unable to get pregnant after one year of trying (infertility).”
Therefore, the burgeoning infertile female population will boost the adoption of fertility and pregnancy rapid test kits.