While still the most populous county in the world, China is now facing an infertility problem. According to experts, 40 million people in China are suffering from infertility, and this is set to rise.

Huang Hefeng who is the director of the Zhejiang reproductive medical centre in China believes that the problem is caused by growing unhealthy lifestyles caused by heavy workloads, environmental pollution and stress. This could possibly be due to China’s push to develop a more westernised society, as it comes out of it Communist past.

Although serious for China, infertility and sterility isn’t confined to this huge country. According to the World Health Authority (WHO) the medical problem currently ranks as the third most serious disease after cardiovascular disease and cancer. WHO bases its findings on whether an individual is or is not able to conceive within one year of having regular intercourse.

Speaking with reporters from the China Daily, Huang Hefeng said that people should see their doctor as soon as possible if they suspect there is an infertility problem. They shouldn’t rely on traditional Chinese so-called folk medicine.

With a rapid and at one time uncontrollable population rise in China, families in China were forced by the authorities to have just one child. This policy seems outdated now.