Fertility Care & IVF

Fertility is the ability of a couple to conceive naturally after a period of unprotected sexual intercourse and is a major function of the human body, with intricately ties to the other organ systems, in not one but two bodies. This ability to reproduce naturally is easily affected by multiple factors present in the male and female, hence all conditions have to be met before a pregnancy can occur naturally. While this reproductive function is often taken for granted in most couples, disease of this part of the body actually affects 1 in every 5-6 couple in Singapore. This has led to an all-time low Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in Singapore of 1.04 in 2022 (data from https://www.singstat.gov.sg/find-data/search-bytheme/ population/births-and-fertility/latest-data). This means that on the average, every resident female is giving birth to only 1.04 offspring, well below the level required to replace our population (TFR of 2.0 is required to maintain our population, i.e. 2 offspring to replace every pair of parents).

Since the 1990s, Singapore’s TFR has dipped below the 2.0 threshold level and dropping further with every year. This epidemic of infertility has far-reaching effects on our society, single-handedly contributing to the rapidly aging population, together with the suite of medical and social problems that follow.

Even though changing societal trends towards child-bearing may have certain impact in our TFR, many women (and men) who want to start a family are facing the tumultuous task of overcoming their (often) multiple fertility problems. The most significant “problem” is the age of the woman. As women biologically, their reproductive abilities drop significantly (and irreversibly), especially when amount of eggs and quality plunge after 35-37 years of age. Next comes the common gynaecological diseases such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, ovarian cysts, polyps and fibroids which often plague the at-risk population without obvious signs or symptoms until they become advanced or severe. On the male side, abnormal sperm counts are also more commonly encountered, compared to absolutely normal ones.

At STO+G, we specialise in helping women and men overcome their infertility issues, as well as proactively screen for possible diseases that may contribute to fertility problem in future (if not already present). With the advent of elective egg freezing in Singapore, it may be a lifeline for some women who wish to defer starting a family till a later age.