Egg freezing in Singapore can be accessible for women who wish to preserve their fertility. They can also avail this option without providing medical reasons.
In this article you'll read:
- Women in Singapore will have the option to freeze their eggs for non-medical reasons
- The substantial policy change
- Elective egg freezing
Women in Singapore Will Have the Option to Freeze Their Eggs for Non-medical Reasons
After years of deliberation, egg freezing in Singapore is now a viable option for women. They also do not need to indicate medical reasons for choosing the innovative treatment. Singapore can finally preserve their fertility without worrying about needing to conceive.
Singaporean women between the ages of 21 to 35 can now undergo elective egg freezing with or without medical reasons. It is supported by the introduction of the Assisted Reproduction Services Regulations under the Healthcare Services Act early year 2023.
However, only legally married couples can use their frozen eggs to try for a baby through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF). this rule falls under the existing IVF rules and the purpose of "upholding parenthood within marriage."
The Substantial Policy Change
There is a major shift in policy outlined in the White Paper on Singapore Women's Development released on Monday. Currently, women can only freeze their eggs only if there would be a valid medical reason. An example of this is the option's accessibility to women who need to undergo chemotherapy. This reasoning is applied because the said treatment could adversely affect women's fertility.
"We recognise that there may be women who are not able to find a suitable partner when they are younger, but they still wish to be able to preserve the likelihood of conceiving when they marry later," said Ms Sun Xueling.
Ms Sun Xueling is the Minister of State for Social and Family Development. She also added that there will be an "adequate safeguard" for women to ensure their well-informed choice.
Women who want to undergo elective egg freeze are required to seek counselling first. With this, interested applicants can understand the invasive nature of the procedure before they freeze their eggs.
Aside from that, they will also be informed about certain limitations such as low success rates of the procedure. There would also be notified of the risks in terms of having babies at an older age.
The Birth Rate for Frozen Eggs
Medical research in other counties discovered that the birth rate for frozen eggs is only about 2% to 12%. Ms Sun added that there is a very small proportion of women who use their frozen eggs in the end. However, they also aim to reassure women that egg freezing preserves fertility. This is achievable because the eggs' maturity level remains unchanged once they are frozen.
Doctors say that a woman is born with a finite number of eggs. Unfortunately, the number and quality of eggs decline as the woman ages. Because of that, the chances of a woman getting pregnant decreases with age.
Elective Egg Freezing Is an Option for Women
Josephine Teo, Minister for Communications and Information, revealed that the idea of elective egg freezing caused them discomfort.
"There were worries in certain quarters that making elective egg freezing available would send the wrong signal about marriage and parenthood, that they need not be prioritised and can always be postponed," he stated.
Later on, Mrs Teo said that allowing elective egg freezing is not about increasing the fertility rate. Instead, elective egg freezing is also about "empowering women with choice."
The Disadvantages of Elective Egg Freezing
Thomson Fertility Centre Medical Director Dr Loh Seong Feei emphasized the downside of the current policy on elective egg freezing. He said that Singaporean women travel to other countries to have elective egg freezing because they cannot do it in Singapore. Additionally, the expert mentioned his idea concerning the age limit and the cost of elective egg freezing.
According to him, the age limit of 35 is too restrictive. He also noted that the procedure is expensive. Women may not be able to afford the procedure when they are younger.
“Egg freezing is not a guarantee to having a baby as it also depends on other factors like whether your womb can carry a pregnancy by the time you want to use your eggs,” Dr. Loh said.
Elective Egg Freezing
Elective egg freezing is also known as oocyte cryopreservation. It is a treatment that helps patients increase their chance of pregnancy at a later, more advanced age. It involves controlled ovarian stimulation, followed by an egg retrieval procedure.
If you consider this treatment, you must first meet with a fertility specialist. You will receive evaluation and counselling before proceeding. The session will help you learn about the risks, benefits, and alternative options regarding egg freezing.
Furthermore, if you fall under the 35 and below age group, your ovarian reserve has the highest chance of later success. However, your hope for future live birth cannot be guaranteed.
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