Commentary: As Singapore debates birth rates, couples like us struggle silently with infertility
CNA
Amid the handwringing over Singapore’s falling birth rate, little is said about the lived reality of infertility, says CNA’s Erin Low.
SINGAPORE: Singapore’s declining birth rate is a perennial topic which everyone, from parliamentarians to the man on the street, has opinions about.
What strikes me is that most commentary on this “existential challenge” has come from parents. Meanwhile, those who have yet to become parents are more often spoken about than heard from.
As of 2024, the median age of first-time fathers is 33.6, and for mothers, 31.9. This is how old my husband and I are. As DINKs (dual income, no kids), we are the subject of this national debate and the target of policies that might nudge us toward having children.
But amid the handwringing and coaxing, a neglected talking point is infertility – something my husband and I have been struggling with for over a year.
About 15 per cent of couples in Singapore experience infertility, with the causes split evenly between men and women. Though we may be a minority, the camp may grow as more couples marry and have children later in life. Fertility declines with age for both sexes, with women seeing a steeper drop past the age of 35.
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