The egg freezing dilemma of women in Singapore
SINGAPORE: Time is not on wedding planner Rubina Tiyu's side. Her biological clock is ticking, and she has been deliberating over freezing her eggs since her mid-30s.
"I'm not getting any younger. I can't expect another two, three years," said the 36-year-sometime. "Also, I don't know when I'chiliad going to meet a partner … and work is crazy busy; the stress doesn't help — then a lot of factors."
Egg freezing has become a sought-after process — with countries similar Thailand, Malaysia, Commonwealth of australia and the Uk having well-established programmes, highlighted Dr Yeong Cheng Toh from Virtus Fertility Centre Singapore.
And some women are banking on science buying time for their fertility every bit they look to progress in their career while planning for a family unit afterwards in life.
READ: 'Doing it for myself': The women freezing their eggs to raise their chances of conceiving
But in Singapore, egg freezing is allowed only on medical grounds. That leaves women like Ms Tiyu in a dilemma, equally the programme Talking Point finds out in a look at some social and moral aspects of this reproductive technology. (Lookout the episode here.)
RESEARCH NEEDED
1 of her first questions, when she recently decided to explore her options with a fertility md — and learnt that she would have to freeze her eggs overseas — was about how secure the places are where the eggs are put.
Another question mark over egg freezing lies in the length of time the eggs are kept. In the UK, it is 10 years, with exceptions made only for women with certain conditions, like premature ovarian failure, Dr Yeong told her.
"That means y'all can't produce any more eggs," explained the consultant gynaecologist and reproductive endocrinologist. He pointed out, nevertheless, that a legal fight has begun in the Britain to extend the 10-year limit for all.
Subsequently the consultation, Ms Tiyu said: "I need to do a lot more research to recollect virtually what I can practice as a woman who lives in Singapore and what my next stride is."
She believes egg freezing is a reproductive right, as practice a number of women. Dr Yeong also thinks one reason younger women want to freeze their eggs is that "the medical applied science has reached a pinnacle where it'south really safe".
"Information technology's robust plenty to say, 'I promise y'all that if I were to freeze your eggs, it's going to be as good as having fresh eggs from you,'" he said.
LISTEN: Loftier costs, high hopes and the deeper issues backside egg freezing, an episode on The Pulse podcast
Waste material OF Coin OR TIME FOR CHANGE?
Does egg freezing, however, offer women a false sense of security well-nigh their fertility? One of the things women should consider, suggested biomedical ethics researcher Voo Teck Chuan, is the odds of using those eggs for reproduction in time to come.
"There'south a apparent study done last year that shows that fewer than 10 per cent of women employ their eggs afterward freezing them," cited the banana professor at the National University of Singapore'south Centre for Biomedical Ideals.
At the aforementioned fourth dimension, he acknowledged that "women have a strong want to accept their ain biological child". Should a adult female use her frozen eggs to try for a baby, still, "at that place are multiple failure points" to consider.
READ: Why Singaporean women are going to Johor to brand babies
"There's the risk of losing the eggs through the procedure of thawing. You may not become a suitable, viable embryo for implantation. You take to undergo the procedure of IVF, which isn't an efficient organization per se," said Dr Voo.
"You might neglect to get pregnant. And after y'all get pregnant, it might not result in a live birth. So, very much like natural pregnancy … in the first trimester, in that location'due south a chance of miscarriage. And this increases for older women."
As to whether egg freezing is thus a waste of money, he said that perspective must be "answered from each person's life circumstances, their age, the resources, their understanding of the whole process, the downsides and and then forth".
He believes an ethical question is at the eye of the matter: To what extent are women informed nigh the procedure?
Besides social egg freezing, IVF treatment for women anile 45 or older is also not allowed in Singapore, where the fertility charge per unit fell final yr to ane.14, the lowest figure recorded in the country's history.
Considering how "dismal" information technology is, said Talking Betoken host Diana Ser, "some might suggest that information technology'south time" to relax the laws. "But fifty-fifty then, the road to assisted reproduction is paved with challenges," she added.
Picket this episode of Talking Point here. New episodes on Aqueduct v every Thursday at nine.30pm.
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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/cna-insider/egg-freezing-dilemma-women-singapore-277316
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