Human chorionic gonadotropin (Ferring )

The overall goal of the initiative is to make the entire fertility journey more equitable for both women and men, which, according to Ferring, may ultimately help “improve drop-out rates, decrease stress, address stigma, reduce unnecessary medical costs and accelerate the path to pregnancy.” Ferring Pharmaceuticals is setting the record straight on fertility issues. Because infertility is often branded largely as a women’s issue, many men may be unaware of their own possible role in the matter and may not undergo testing in a timely manner—even though research has shown that men “substantially” contribute to about half of all cases of infertility. The issue is further compounded by stigma that may make men feel emasculated or embarrassed to be struggling with their fertility. A new initiative from Ferring, however, is aiming to boost awareness and education around male fertility and break down that stigma. According to a company announcement Thursday, the program was launched in partnership with Posterity Health, a virtual care service focused on male reproductive health and is hosted on Ferring’s existing Fertility Out Loud platform, which launched in 2021 to provide support for aspiring parents. The platform’s new addition will specifically target men, to “activate them to learn about their fertility health and how it may impact the couple’s path to parenthood,” according to Ali Castro, senior director of marketing and strategic engagement for Ferring’s reproductive medicine division. To do so, it’ll offer both educational resources and a confidential digital assessment that male partners can use to gain a better idea of their personal reproductive health. The overall goal of the initiative is to make the entire fertility journey more equitable for both women and men, which, according to Ferring, may ultimately help “improve drop-out rates, decrease stress, address stigma, reduce unnecessary medical costs and accelerate the path to pregnancy.” “When a couple is having trouble conceiving, the male partner typically waits 22 months before seeking an evaluation—during this period the female is often receiving unnecessary, and in some cases, invasive care,” Pam Pure, co-founder and CEO of Posterity, said in the announcement. “Working together with Ferring, we have made it easier to complete a male fertility assessment from home. Identifying and addressing male factor issues early in the fertility journey will empower couples to take control of their reproductive health.” Both the new initiative and larger Fertility Out Loud platform are unbranded, hosted on a standalone site with the only mention of Ferring at the bottom of each page. That said, Ferring does offer several fertility-related products, including Menopur and Novarel, both of which are used to induce ovulation in women struggling with infertility, and Endometrin, which provides extra progesterone to women who are undergoing fertility treatments.