CHILDLESS SINGAPOREAN WOMEN

CHILDLESS SINGAPOREAN WOMEN:

(Financial support for fertility treatment):

* 4. *Er:

Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports whether the Government will consider giving a special grant or other forms of financial support for childless Singaporean women who are seeking medical treatment to have children.

The Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports (Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon) (for the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports): Mr Speaker, Sir, some couples who want children but have difficulties conceiving would turn to Assisted Conception Procedures (ACP). As part of the 2004 Marriage and Parenthood package, couples undergoing ACP can now use up to $6,000, $5,000 and $4,000 from their own or their spouse’s Medisave for the first, second and third treatment cycles respectively. For the majority of couples who choose to undergo ACP at public hospitals, these withdrawal limits would cover the bulk of the treatment cost.

Although greater financial support for fertility treatment will make ACP more affordable for couples who have difficulty conceiving, unfortunately, the reality is that no amount of financial support is able to increase the success rate of ACP.

As fertility declines with age, what is needed are upstream efforts to raise awareness on the narrowing fertility window as one ages and the risks associated with delayed childbearing. I am happy to report that our public education efforts have reaped some results. From my Ministry’s 2006 survey of 3,000 married respondents, 94% are aware that it gets more difficult for couples to conceive as they get older, up from 89% in 2004. However, more can and must be done to raise awareness level and to transform awareness into a change in attitude and behaviour. My Ministry has and will continue to partner medical experts to spread this important message.

Er Lee Bee Wah: Mr Speaker, Sir, I think the sentiment among the childless couples is that they have already sacrificed their time in going through ACP. So they are asking whether it is possible to give them financial aid. They are aware that the CPF can be used. But what they are asking for is financial aid, because they have sacrificed their time. The end result is that what they are doing is beneficial for the country.

Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon: Mr Speaker, Sir, I do agree with the hon. Member. But Medisave, as all of us know, is limited. We also have to safeguard our old-age medical benefits. The average cost for IVF is about $6,000 to $8,000 at KK Hospital. If you use Medisave, the first time is $6,000, the second is $5,000 and the third time is $4,000. I think this is quite sufficient to cover most of the costs. Let us allow this scheme to carry on first and we will monitor the situation.

Mr Hri Kumar Nair (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Sir, firstly, may I know the number of couples who are currently undergoing ACP. Secondly, in relation to the survey results that the MOS just mentioned, may I know the age of the couples surveyed?

Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon: Sir, the number of women who undergo ACP is about 1,700 a year. But based on the number of cycles, it is about 2,000-over annually. The success rate corresponds to their age. For women below 30, the success rate is about 26%. For those who are in their early 30s, it is about 25%. For those beyond 40, it is very, very low. It is actually below 10%. So the success rate goes down as the women get older. As for the survey of these 3,000 respondents, I can tell him that most of them are in the region of 30s.