12,000 abortions in Singapore

Every year, 12,000 foetuses are aborted in Singapore and shockingly enough, about half are carried out by married women.

Abortions in Singapore

Put into context, that’s about 24% of all Singapore pregnancies every year. Doctors say that our high abortion rates are due to not enough people using contraception, or using them correctly.

According to Dr Beh Suan Tiong, president of the Obstetrical & Gynaecological Society of Singapore: “Many husbands do not use condom right from the start of the sexual activity, (they) wait till they are near ejaculation before they put it on, and that defeats the purpose.”

Most mums we spoke to were also scared of taking the pill as they feared side effects. One such mum Lynette Loh, 29, shared, “I’ve stayed away from birth controls as I’ve seen how it made my sister balloon in weight and start having acne.

Other mums inaccurately think that birth control pills may be linked to cancer and others have the misconception that the intrauterine system makes sexual intercourse uncomfortable and carries an infection risk.

For such women, it is adviced to at least use natural family planning, which involves tracking their ovulation by measuring body temperature and cervical secretions.

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

Written by

Sandra Ong

PregnancyPregnancy - Abortionsingapore