Below Population Replacement Fertility Rates: Can assisted reproductive technology (ART) help reverse the trend?

Can assisted reproductive technology (ART) help Singapore's languishing fertility record?

NUS Visiting Professor Eric Blyth from the University of Huddersfield, England, addressed this question at a recent seminar organised by the Department of Social Work. The attendees comprised Department staff and research students; professionals from local hospitals; and representatives from the Ministry of Health (MOH, Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports (MCYS) as well as the National Population and Talent Division.

The discussion covered the extent, causes and consequences of nearly 40 years of below replacement fertility in Singapore, and the potential benefits of publicly funded fertility treatments and accessibility to elective oocyte cryopreservation. The latter, frequently described as "social egg freezing", has been suggested as a means of protecting the fertility of young women against ageing and thus increasing their chances of successful conception if they later decide to expand their family.