Health x Wellness

I Love Children urges couples to be aware of their fertility health earlier

By  |  0 Comments

I Love Children’s (ILC) Fertility Awareness Campaign 2021 focuses on reminding couples that good general health does not mean good fertility health, and that fertility issues are shared by both females and males.

According to the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), fertility issues affect approximately 15 percent of couples in Singapore. Among this group, 50 percent are males with fertility issues.

KKH also revealed that female fertility potential is highest before 30 years old, but it steadily declines with age, especially after 35 years old. After 40 years of age, only 10 percent to 15 percent will be able to conceive, even with Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART). Therefore, the success rate of a woman at or over 40, having a baby through natural conception is even lower.

A fertility health check is for all couples and not just those who are having difficulties conceiving although it is common that people do not think much about infertility until it happens to them. Fertility health checks are able to help couples to understand their fertility health in order to seek timely treatment and optimise their chances of conception before it is too late.

Dr Janice Tung, Consultant O&G at Thomson Fertility Centre.

In 2020, ILC ran a poll in support of their annual campaign with 222 couples and found that:

  • 91 percent of those who went for fertility health checks because of the campaign are now planning for a baby earlier. Knowing their own fertility health motivates couples to plan for a baby earlier.
  • Of those who received a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) fertility health consultation, 70 percent said they would not have gone for the consultation prior to the campaign.
  • Of those who were not given fertility health checks from the campaign, only about 37.5 percent went on to pay for their own fertility health checks and of those who were given fertility health checks, 41 percent indicated that they would not have gone for one if not for the campaign. Most of them stated cost as a deterrent.

If fertility issues were discovered earlier, couples could have a higher chance of conceiving. Therefore, it is critical that we encourage
more couples to go for fertility health checks as early as possible. We have taken baby steps in this area for too long and it is time for us to boldly change our approach in order to help more couples have children.

Mrs Joni Ong, President of I Love Children

Know Your Fertility Wellness 2021 campaign highlights

I Love Children’s Know Your Fertility Wellness Campaign is supported by Thomson Fertility Centre, Thomson Chinese Medicine, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore General Hospital, and APRW.

fertility health
Image credit: I Love Children

Fertility Checks and Consultations to make fertility health checks more accessible

Thomson Fertility Centre will be giving 200 fertility health checks to couples for them to better understand their fertility health and Thomson Chinese Medicine will be giving 50 TCM fertility consultations to couples.

Fertility Health Check: Each check comprises of two to three trips to the clinic. Couples would need to go for hormone blood tests for the wife, and semen analysis for the husband. Upon completion of the tests, the results will be reviewed, together with an ultrasound scan, during a consultation session with the doctor.

TCM Fertility Consultation: Each session consists of a TCM diagnosis for both husband and wife to better understand their body constitution, identify suitable TCM treatments and to be advised on their dietary habits and lifestyle recommendations. An acupuncture session (up to 30 minutes) will also be included for either the husband or wife. The acupuncture session will help to improve blood flow to reproductive organs, release endorphins for mental, emotional wellbeing and enhance sleep quality.

Interested couples can sign up for the package at this website. Each fertility health check and Traditional Chinese Medicine Fertility Consultation is worth SGD 400 and SGD 200 respectively.

Experts to Share about Fertility Wellness on TikTok

Doctors and experts from KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore General Hospital, Thomson Fertility Centre and Thomson Chinese Medicine will be sharing educational fertility-related facts and information through a series of videos on I Love Children’s TikTok page. Couples can tune in to learn more about fertility health.

@ilovechildrensg

Don’t have to guess your fertility when you go for a fertility health check! #fertilitytips #fertilityhealth #doctorsontiktok

♬ Will to Live – Jacob Yoffee
@ilovechildrensg

True or False? For those considering IVF @sghseen #tiktoksg #fertility #ivf

♬ April (No Vocals) – The Young Ebenezers

Fertility Go Initiative for Corporates

ILC is seeking companies to take the ‘I Love Children Fertility Go Pledge’, to be a pro-family company in Singapore.

In support of this initiative, Thomson Fertility Centre will be offering fertility health checks (U.P. SGD 450) at a special corporate rate of SGD 200 for companies to purchase and a special rate of SGD 250 for employees to purchase directly.

Interested parties can register their interest for the pledge to this email.

Comments

comments