Reproductive health is a fundamental part of people’s lives. Yet evidence shows that awareness of fertility, preconception health, sexually transmitted infections, and other aspects of reproductive health conditions remain limited across several population groups, including men (1), young people (2) and some healthcare professionals (3).
The International Reproductive Health Education Collaboration (IRHEC) aims to bridge this gap. IRHEC’s mission is to increase reproductive health awareness using the life course approach, which looks at how experiences across all life stages shape health. It aims to improve reproductive health and facilitate decision-making in family planning across different groups through development, evaluation and dissemination of inclusive and evidence-based educational resources.
IRHEC began as an independent initiative in 2019, driven by a shared commitment to improving fertility awareness and reproductive health education. In 2021, it joined ESHRE, aligning its mission with the society’s strategic goals on awareness and education.
Organisation and network
As a multidisciplinary group, IRHEC brings together more than a hundred members of its global Network, representing diverse professional backgrounds, skills, and experiences. These members contribute perspectives from across reproductive health disciplines and regions.
Direction is provided by a rotating steering committee of around 10 members, led by a chair, chair elect, immediate past chair, and elected committee representatives. This structure ensures inclusion: diversity of thought and expertise as well as broad representation of voices to promote awareness.
Activities
The steering committee guides IRHEC’s activities across three core areas: education, research, and communication, in line with its mission.
Targeted education
IRHEC’s educational resources are co-designed with young people, teachers, and healthcare professionals. Published resources include:
- A fertility education poster: 9 things you should know if you want kids in the future covers age, lifestyle, menstrual cycle, and fertility treatments. Available in multiple languages. Teachers’ resource: a PowerPoint presentation with a user guide covering ten key topics from puberty to menopause.
- Information leaflets: Twelve accessible texts on conditions like endometriosis, PCOS, and infertility.
- Personal story videos: Six videos sharing real-life fertility experiences, for use in education or care.
Collectively, these materials have had over 3,500 downloads, and the site has over 60,000 views. The top five countries viewing IRHEC materials are Belgium, the United Kingdom, the United States, Greece and, interestingly, the United Arab Emirates.
All materials are free to download at www.eshre.eu/IRHEC.
Research and publications
A core element of IRHEC’s activities is generating evidence-based information to improve reproductive health education and awareness. IRHEC has written articles to cover crucial topics, including:
- Defending access to reproductive health information (4)
- Stimulating fertility awareness: the importance of getting the language right (5)
- Fertility education: recommendations for developing and implementing tools to improve fertility literacy (6)
- Research and action to improve fertility awareness (2)
Several more manuscripts are being drafted or under review.
An online tool has also been developed by IRHEC to serve as a one-stop-shop for published evidence in its areas of interest. IRHEC ’s research database provides a repository for relevant publications, and can be filtered by topic, year, country, study methods, and keyword. It has proven to be a valuable resource, widely used by researchers, teachers, and students. The database is updated on a quarterly basis and can be accessed here.
Communication that engages
Social media and regular newsletters are used by IRHEC’s communications team to share evidence-based, inclusive, and accessible information. The team is currently running a social media campaign that highlights diverse perspectives on reproductive health and fertility awareness, with a particular emphasis on engaging younger audiences.
While earlier campaigns mainly focused on presenting IRHEC’s educational resources, this initiative puts the spotlight on the voices and experiences of Network members. Through short video reels and text posts responding to the question What does reproductive health education mean to you?, contributors share reflections on topics such as lifestyle and fertility, as well as broader issues related to reproductive health. The campaign runs across Instagram, LinkedIn, and X, and connects with key international awareness days to amplify its reach.
Looking to the future
The work of IRHEC is grounded in the belief that knowledge is power, and that everyone has the right to information about their reproductive health. Through collaboration, transparency, and inclusion, IRHEC aims to make fertility and reproductive health awareness a natural part of education and healthcare. IRHEC has already achieved a lot, but it has even greater ambitions for the future. Forward looking activities include evaluating the impact of its work, expand its research and communication outreach, and securing funding for continued research.
As IRHEC grows, it continues to align closely with ESHRE’s strategic priorities for awareness and education. The momentum by IRHEC and its network offers a powerful opportunity to align efforts and achieve shared goals in reproductive health awareness. Please join this important mission. Contact: Co-ordination
References
- Grace, B., Shawe, J., Johnson, S., & Stephenson, J. (2019). You did not turn up… I did not realise I was invited…: Understanding male attitudes towards engagement in fertility and reproductive health discussions. Human Reproduction Open, 2019(3), hoz014. https://doi.org/10.1093/hropen/hoz014
- Harper JC, Hammarberg K, Simopoulou M, Koert E, Pedro J, Massin N, Fincham A, Balen A; International Fertility Education Initiative.
The International Fertility Education Initiative: research and action to improve fertility awareness. Hum Reprod Open. 2021 Aug 25;2021(4):hoab031. doi:10.1093/hropen/hoab031. PMID:34532596; PMCID:PMC8441587. - Grace, B., Shawe, J., & Stephenson, J. (2023). Exploring fertility knowledge amongst healthcare professional and lay population groups in the UK: a mixed methods study. Human Fertility, 26(2), 302–311. https://doi.org/10.1080/14647273.2022.2153349
- Ekstrand Ragnar M, Hammarberg K, Carvalho A, Delbaere I, Fincham A, Harper J, Serdarogullari M, Simopoulou M, Antoniadou Stylianou C, Sylvest R, Grace B.
Defending access to reproductive health information. Hum Reprod Open. 2025;2025(2):hoaf016. doi:10.1093/hropen/hoaf016. - Mertes H, Harper J, Boivin J, Ekstrand Ragnar M, Grace B, Moura-Ramos M, Rautakallio-Hokkanen S, Simopoulou M, Hammarberg K; on behalf of the International Reproductive Health Education Collaboration (IRHEC).
Stimulating fertility awareness: the importance of getting the language right. Hum Reprod Open. 2023;2023(2):hoad009. doi:10.1093/hropen/hoad009. PMID:37082102; PMCID:PMC10112336. Martins - MV, Koert E, Sylvest R, Maeda E, Moura-Ramos M, Hammarberg K, Harper J; on behalf of the International Reproductive Health Education Collaboration (IRHEC).
Fertility education: recommendations for developing and implementing tools to improve fertility literacy. Hum Reprod. 2024 Feb 1;39(2):293–302. doi:10.1093/humrep/dead253. PMID:38088127; PMCID:PMC10833069.
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