Moving To Singapore? Essential Guide – Expat Living in Singapore
Moving to Singapore – learn about neighbourhoods, furniture, schools, beauty and food? We help make the most of expat living in Singapore.
25th November 2022 by 3 Min Read
https://expatliving.sg/fertility-problems-and-freezing-eggs-in-singapore/
Getting pregnant can be a simple affair – but for some folks, it’s not. We talk to Dr Anupriya, Dr Cathryn Chan, Dr Fong Yang and Dr Lim Min Yu from Astra Women’s Specialists about fertility problems, freezing eggs in Singapore and some misconceptions around infertility and trying to get pregnant.
Often, couples may not realise that they’re experiencing fertility problems. They may attribute their unsuccessful attempts to them just not trying hard enough.
Generally speaking, if you’re having sexual intercourse two to three times per week during the fertile period, this is considered a sufficient effort. If you’re unable to conceive despite doing this, it’s possible there’s a larger issue at play.
Over the years, we’ve seen an increasing number of couples seeking help in the fertility department. These days, it’s common for couples to experience fertility problems. It could be due to couples getting married later, delaying their decisions to have children, or experiencing stress at work.
This depends on the woman’s age, and whether she has any underlying gynaecological conditions. If the woman is below 35 years old, the couple should seek medical help if they have been unable to conceive after one year of trying. For women above 35, the timeframe is shorter: seek medical help if you’re unable to conceive after six months of trying.
Finally, for women with underlying gynaecological conditions such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, fibroids or ovarian cysts, you may seek help before six months or even schedule an appointment with your gynaecologist once you decide to start trying. For these women, the risk of infertility is higher, and it’s worth consulting your doctor early on in the process.
Getting pregnant can be a hit-or-miss process. It’s easy for some, but may require more time for others. However, worry can affect your chances, so don’t put yourself under undue stress.
There are a few fertility treatment options. These can be broadly categorised into medical treatment, surgical treatment and Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART). Here’s a breakdown:
For male infertility, there are certain medications that men can take to improve sperm quality and count. Improving the sperm is a crucial factor in increasing a couple’s chances of getting pregnant without IVF. Even in the case where IVF is required, higher quality sperm is likely to result in better success rates.
Egg freezing is a process in which a woman’s eggs are retrieved, frozen and stored. This essentially preserves the fertility of a woman who wants to conceive later on in life.
In Singapore, elective egg freezing will be allowed as of 2023. This introduces the key benefit of enabling women to avoid the issue of declining egg quality as they age.
However, egg freezing is an invasive procedure, and there is no guarantee of a successful pregnancy with frozen eggs. As such, women should consult their doctor to better understand the risks and benefits, and find out if egg freezing is a viable option for them.
Written in collaboration with Dr Anupriya, Dr Cathryn Chan, Dr Fong Yang and Dr Lim Min Yu from Astra Women’s Specialists
6333 6636
Read more in our Health & Fitness section!
By signing up, you’ll receive our weekly newsletter and offers which you can update or unsubscribe to anytime.
Categories: Uncategorized
Rebecca has a background in research and photography and helped start Expat Living so that people could make the most out of their new countries and new lives. She likes to travel, but finds looking inside homes and properties just as exciting! Her latest passion is SEO!
© 2025 Expat Living Singapore, All Rights Reserved.